Cathedral facts for kids

Cathedral.

The chair of Bishop Broughton, first Anglican Bishop of Sydney, Australia.

A cathedral is a large Christian church. It is the seat of a Bishop. Only those Christian denominations that have bishops have cathedrals. Cathedrals can be found in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican as well as some Lutheran churches. As cathedrals are the seat of a bishop, they are central church of a diocese.

In the Greek Orthodox Church, the terms "kathedrikos naos" (literally: "cathedral shrine") and "metropolis" (literally "mother city") are both used to describe the same thing. "Metropolis" is more common, but both terms are officially used.

There are certain variations on the use of the term "cathedral"; for example, some pre-Reformation cathedrals in Scotland now within the Church of Scotland still retain the term cathedral, despite the Church's Presbyterian polity which does not have bishops. As cathedrals are often particularly impressive buildings, the term is often used incorrectly to refer to any large important church.

Several cathedrals in Europe, such as Strasbourg, and in England at York, Lincoln and Southwell, are referred to as Minster (German: Münster) churches, from Latin monasterium, because the establishments were served by canons living in community or may have been an abbey, prior to the Reformation. The other kind of great church in Western Europe is the abbey.

Definition

The word cathedral is derived from the Latin noun "cathedra" (seat or chair), and refers to the presence of the bishop's or archbishop's chair or throne. In the ancient world, the chair was the symbol of a teacher and thus of the bishop's role as teacher, and also of an official presiding as a magistrate and thus of the bishop's role in governing a diocese.

The word cathedral, though now grammatically used as a noun, is originally the adjective in the phrase "cathedral church", from the Latin "ecclesia cathedralis". The seat marks the place set aside in the prominent church of the diocese for the head of that diocese and is therefore a major symbol of authority.

Many cathedrals are very old.

Cathedrals which are not the seat of a bishop

Some churches are called cathedral, but they are not the seat of a bishop. This may be because the way the church is organised changed over time. This is the case for Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Poprad, in Slovakia, for example. In Slovak language, this church is called cathedral. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spiš. This diocese was re-organised several times. Currently, the cathedral of the diocese is St. Martin's Cathedral (Spišská Kapitula). Churches that formerly were a diocesan seat may be called concathedral, co-cathedral, or pro-cathedral.

Images for kids

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  Nave and organ of the Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi in Southern France

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  São Paulo Cathedral, a representative modern cathedral built in Neo-Gothic style.

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  Interior of St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Memphis, Tennessee with a procession.

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  The cathedra of the Pope as Bishop of Rome, Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran

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  The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is a Neoclassical Catholic cathedral in Nepi, Italy

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  Many cathedrals, such as the Notre-Dame de Paris, France, feature highly detailed stained glass windows

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  Most cathedrals, such as the Cologne Cathedral, Germany, serve as city landmarks

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  Battistero di San Giovanni in Pisa, Italy

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  The Palais de la Berbie, an episcopal palace in Albi, France

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  St. Martin's cathedral in Spišské Podhradie (Slovakia).

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  Bishop Ivo Muser in Urtijëi with pontifical vestments (mitre, pectoral cross, episcopal ring, and crosier)

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  St. John's Cathedral in Brisbane

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  The Patriarchal Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, Rome.

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  Former archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.

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  Aachen Cathedral, Germany, founded by Charlemagne in 800 AD, coronation place of the Holy Roman Emperor.

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  The cloister of Canterbury Cathedral with monastic buildings beyond

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  Nidaros Cathedral, Norway, became Lutheran at the Reformation

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  Metz Cathedral, France, was governed by a provost.

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  Chapter House of Oulu Cathedral, Finland

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  The stalls of St. Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny, Ireland, showing the bishop's throne and precentor's stall.

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  Interior of the Chapter House at Southwell Cathedral, England.

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  The 15th-century Porvoo Cathedral in Porvoo, Finland is quite well known from the Diet of Porvoo, when Tsar Alexander I of the Russian Empire granted Finland the status of Grand Duchy in 1809.

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  The Palace of the Bishops of Havelberg in Wittstock, Germany.

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  Many cathedrals are important landmarks. Cobh Cathedral, Ireland, rises up above the town.

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  Built at the beginning of the 19th century, the Neoclassical Kuopio Cathedral is one of the most important landmarks in Kuopio, which has also been immortalized in the city's coat of arms. Photo of the cathedral in winter 2019.

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  St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney has a typical cruciform plan.

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  Music is an important part of cathedral services. Choir practice at York Minster, England.

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  Organ of Sonntagberg Basilica, Lower Austria

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  The funeral of the Patriarch Alexy II in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow

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  Cathedrals are important meeting places. After a service at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Sri Lanka

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  Some cathedrals are major tourist destinations and World Heritage Sites. Pisa is one of the best known.

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  Cathedrals often contain a wealth of artworks. Tourists visiting the interior of St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna.

See also

In Spanish: Catedral para niños