Rome’s Four Patriarchal, or Papal, Basilicas

A video guide of the four major Basilicas of Rome you must visit to complete a Papal pilgrimage. The main distinction of the Papal Basilicas is that they each have a special “holy door“. These doors are only opened during Jubilee years. All one’s sins will be forgiven if one manages to go through each of these doors within one day in one of these holy years. Unfortunately the last Jubilee was in the year 2000, so the next holy year is still 13 years away. The only ones allowed to celebrate Mass in these basilicas are the Pope or those especially delegated by the Pope. “Major Basilica“ is the title given to the four highest-ranking Roman Catholic churches: ST. PETER’S BASILICA This building replaced “Old St. Peter’s Basilica“, a Romanesque structure begun by Constantine in 323 on the site of the crucifixion of St. Peter. The obelisk which stands in the middle of St. Peter’s square originally stood in Nero’s circus, having be