The
World's 'Top Ten' Largest Cathedrals? That Depends...
Dear
New York Carver,
Can
you tell me where I can find a list of the world's Top Ten largest
cathedrals?
Good
question.
Tallest?
Widest? Do you want that in square feet or cubic meters? Just
the cathedral, or include the chapter house, the cloisters, or
any other part of the complex?
The dilemma comes into clearer focus if you take into account
local chambers of commerce - who are good at attracting tourists
with tall tales...
Size
Matters
Yet
size alone does not a cathedral make.
A
cathedral is defined as a church featuring a cathedra,
or bishops chair, to which local parishes report in as a sort
of regional headquarters.
The
world's largest religious structure is St. Peter's Basilica
in Rome, but it is too big - ironically - and too universal to
be considered a cathedral.
Which
leaves the Cathedral
Church of St. John the Divine. It is the focal point for the
Episcopal church in New York, and therefore a true cathedral.
Measuring
in at 121,000 square feet or the size of two football fields,
(with room left over for the football) it is properly placed at
the top of many 'World's Largest Cathedrals" lists.
From
here, it gets a little murkier. There are several that claim the
title if you read any of a handful of cathedral brochures throughout
Europe. However, not one of them agrees with any other, and only
the most impolitic lout would point out the fact. (Well, OK, there
it is).
For
now, the 'Top Ten ' question will continue to go unanswered definitively.
That is, until a team of engineers begins setting the ground rules
to undertake an unbiased worldwide survey...someday.
In
the meantime, an unofficial survey around the Net has provided
us with the following list of:
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