Formerly a basilica was a place of justice or civic hall, which consisted of a long hall with an apse at one end. Later Christian churches built over the tombs of martyrs were so named. Today it is merely a title of honor given to various kinds of churches. There are two classes of basilicas, major and minur. There are four major basilicas, all in Rome: St.. John Lateran-the Cathedral of Rome, St. Peter's of the Vatican, St. Paul's outside the Walls, and St. Mary Major. The Basilica of St. Lawrence outside the Walls at one time held the title and privileges of these four but is now a minor basilica. The title of minor basilica is granted to certain churches by the pope: their clergy have precedence in rank and certain decorative insignia that indicate their dependence on the pope; the papal arms may be displayed on the churches' exteriors.
In the United States the churches designated as basilicas are: Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Mobile, Alabama; Mission Dolores and Mission of San Carlos, San Francisco, California; Our Ladv of Sorrows and Queen of All Saints, Chicago, Illinois; Old Cathedral, Vincennes,
Francis Xavier, Dyersyille, Iowa; Our Ladv of Gethsemani (Trappist), Kentucky; Cathedral of
Assumption, Covington, Kentucky; Cathedral of St. Louis, King of France, New Orleans, Louisiana;
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Baltimore, Maryland; Perpetual Help, Roxbury, Massachusetts; St. Mary, Minneapolis, Minnesota;
Basilica of Immaculate Conception, Conception,
Missouri; Cathedral of St. Lotus. King of France, St. Louis, Missouri; Our Lady of Perpetual Help,
Brooklyn, New York; St. Adalberts, Buffalo, New York; Our Lady of Victory, Lackawanna, New
York; Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, Carey, Ohio: St. Vincent Basilica, Latrobe, Pennsylvania;
Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Conewago, Pennsvlvania; St. Josephat, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.In Canada the basilicas are Cathedral Basilica of
St. Boniface, St. Boniface, Manitoba; Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, St. John's, Newfoundland;
St Mary's Basilica, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Basilica of Notre Dame, Ottawa, Ontario;
St. Peter's Cathedral, London, Ontario; Basilica of St. Dunstan, Charlottetown, Prince
Edward Island; Cathedral Basilica of St. Michael, Sherbrooke,Ouebec; Cathedral Basilica of St. James the
Greater; St. Joseph of Mount Royal, Montreal; Basilica of Our Lady Of the Cape,
Cap-de-laMadeleine; Basilica of Notre Dame; St. Anne de Beaupre, Basilica of St. Anne, Quebec.