List of basilicas

This is a complete list of basilicas of the Roman Catholic Church. A basilica is a church with certain privileges conferred on it by the Pope.

Not all churches with "basilica" in their title actually have the ecclesiastical status, which can lead to confusion, since it is also an architectural term for a church-building style.

In the 18th century, the term took on a canonical sense, unrelated to this architectural style. Basilicas in this canonical sense are divided into major ("greater") and minor basilicas. Today only four, all in Rome, are classified as major basilicas: the major basilicas of St John Lateran, St Peter, St Paul outside the Walls, and St Mary Major. The other canonical basilicas are minor basilicas.

By canon law no Catholic church can be honoured with the title of basilica unless by apostolic grant or from immemorial custom. The Basilica di San Nicola da Tolentino was the first minor basilica to be canonically created, in 1783. The 1917 Code of Canon Law officially recognised churches using the title of basilica from immemorial custom as having such a right to the title of minor basilica. Such churches are referred to as immemorial basilicas.

There were 1,677 basilicas (four of them major ; the rest minor) in the world as of June 2013.

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