July 1, 2026

The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran (Continued)

Jesus Christ had many disciples, but from among them he chose twelve to become his apostles.

These men are known as the Twelve Apostles.

The word apostle literally means "one who is sent," much like an envoy or messenger in modern terms.

The Twelve traveled with Jesus and received special teachings that were not given to the other disciples.

After Jesus was crucified, they also became witnesses to His resurrection.

Among the Twelve, the first to be called by Jesus was Andrew.

His name appears in different forms across Europe: Andreas in Greek, Andrew in English, André in French, Andrea in Italian, and Andrei in Russian.

Inside the Lateran Basilica stand numerous statues of apostles and saints.

Among them, the statue of Saint Andrew is especially striking and immediately catches the visitor's attention.

During his missionary work, Andrew was executed in the Greek region of Achaea on an X-shaped cross.

For this reason, the X-shaped cross became known as Saint Andrew's Cross and has since been adopted in the emblems and flags of organizations and nations that honor him as their patron saint.

The national flag of Scotland, for example, is known as Saint Andrew's Flag, featuring a white diagonal cross on a blue background.

The name Andrew is derived from the Greek word andros, meaning "manly" or "brave."

This same Greek root has given rise to such words as androgen, the male sex hormone, and android, a robot designed in human form.

The term androgen was introduced by the German medical scientist Adolf Butenandt in the first half of the twentieth century.

While studying male hormones, he applied a substance extracted from male urine to the comb of a castrated rooster and observed that the previously shrunken comb began to grow again.

Based on this remarkable finding, he named the substance androgen.

Like estrogen and the hormones produced by the adrenal cortex, androgens belong to the family of steroid hormones.

They are responsible for the development of the penis, voice deepening during puberty, increased body hair, greater muscle mass, enhanced sexual desire, and the pattern of hair loss commonly seen in men.

Androgens also play an essential role in the development of acne.

They stimulate the sebaceous glands to enlarge and produce increased amounts of sebum.

In girls as well as boys, the adrenal glands begin secreting higher levels of androgens during early puberty.

Because the sebaceous glands in girls often enlarge earlier than those in boys, acne may appear at an earlier age.

Appropriately enough, Saint Andrew—whose name comes from andros—was remembered as a man of exceptional courage and strength.

In English, Andy is a familiar nickname for Andrew.

According to one traditional explanation, Andy eventually evolved into dandy, a word that came to describe a well-dressed, refined gentleman.

Even in Japanese, the English word dandy is widely recognized as referring to a stylish, masculine gentleman.

To be continued

June 1, 2026

The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran

The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran is the most important and oldest church in Rome—and indeed, in the entire world.

In 313 AD, the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great issued the Edict of Milan, granting freedom of religion throughout the Roman Empire and officially recognizing Christianity for the first time.

The following year—more than 1,700 years ago—Constantine founded this magnificent basilica.

Among Rome's four major papal basilicas—the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, St. Peter's Basilica, Basilica of Saint Mary Major, and Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls—it is the oldest.

For nearly one thousand years, until the papacy moved to Avignon in the 14th century, it served as the spiritual center of all Catholic churches.

Within the basilica stands a large door known as the Porta Santa ("Holy Door").

Carved in relief on its surface are images of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus, as well as Christ crucified on the Cross.

The Holy Door is opened only during a Holy Year (Jubilee Year).

In the Catholic Church, a Holy Year is a special year during which pilgrims visiting Rome are granted extraordinary spiritual indulgences.

Since the 14th century, such years have been celebrated at intervals of several decades.

The word porta is Latin for a city gate or entrance in a defensive wall.

In English, the related word port refers to a harbor.

Both porta and port derive from the Latin verb portare, meaning "to carry" or "to transport."

A harbor is, in essence, the gateway through which goods are brought into and carried out of a city or nation.

English words such as portable (able to be carried) and porter (a person who carries luggage, especially in hotels and stations) are also derived from the same root.

The concept appears in anatomy as well.

One important blood vessel is the portal vein (vena portae in Latin).

This vessel collects nutrient-rich blood absorbed from the stomach and intestines and carries it to the entrance, or "gate," of the liver.

Because it is the vein that "carries" blood to the liver's "gate," it is called the portal vein.

In the Milan series (March 2021), the Venice series (November 2021), and the Florence series (January 2023), I discussed the "Head of Medusa" (Caput medusae).

This term refers to one of the collateral venous pathways that develop in patients with liver cirrhosis when elevated portal venous pressure prevents blood from entering the liver normally.

The blood is therefore forced to bypass the liver and return to the heart through alternative routes.

The network of enlarged veins visible beneath the skin resembles the snakes covering the head of Medusa, which is why the condition is known as the "Head of Medusa" (Caput medusae).

To be continued