Here’s the difference between Church, Chapel, Cathedral, and Basilica

Read along to understand the technical differences between each of these terms so you can avoid using them incorrectly.

Hyderabad: It’s December, a holy month for many, with scores of people already starting their Christmas celebrations. While you are all busy with the festival preparations, have you ever considered the confusing array of names used to describe Christian places of worship?

Well, there are four main categories of Christian places of worship — chapel, church, basilica and cathedral, and these places are frequently — but incorrectly — used interchangeably. Read along to understand the technical differences between each of these terms so you can avoid using them incorrectly.

Church:

A church is an umbrella term for Christian houses of worship with a permanent congregation, and is run by a priest or pastor. The word ‘church’ can refer to both the actual space as well as the congregation. A church can be a cathedral or a basilica. A chapel, on the other hand, is not a church.

A church building can be of any structure — a circle symbolising eternity, a cross with a dome inside, or a tower or spire.

Chapel:

The word ‘chapel’ is derived from a French word ‘chapele’, which means “little cape”. Chapels are typically smaller spaces, usually a room within the church or a larger, non-religious institution such as an airport, hospital, or university. It does not have a permanent congregation and a priest or pastor.

Cathedral:

A cathedral is a church that’s run by a bishop. The word cathedral comes from the term “cathedra”, meaning “bishop’s chair”. The Catholic Church has been using cathedras as a symbol of authority throughout history — cathedral is the principal church within a diocese, the area of land over which a bishop has jurisdiction.

People frequently refer to large churches as cathedrals, but this is imprecise and technically incorrect because a cathedral does not have to be large or beautiful. It’s all about the bishop; if the bishop is in charge of services, it’s a cathedral.

Basilica:

As for basilicas, there are two types: basilicas major and basilicas minor. The basilicas major are the four personal churches of the pope — leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the Bishop of Rome — and are in and around Rome. Basilicas minor are those that are found around the world. They are awarded the status by the Pope, because of their historical, spiritual or architectural significance.