It was first built in 1913 by the architect Aristide Leonori for Pope Pius X, in celebration of the 1600th anniversary of the Edict of Milan. In the style of a Roman basilica, it has a mosaic-decorated facade, a portico with six Ionic columns and a mosaic by Biagio Biagetti, a five-storey bell tower and a three-aisled nave divided by six columns of Bavarian granite on each side.
It was opened for worship on 12 July 1914, and granted to the Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata (Stigmatines), but was not consecrated until 1918 (by Giuseppe Pallica, Titular Archbishop of Philippi).
In 1954, Pope Pius XII made it an alternative station church for Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent. Pope Paul VI elevated it to the status of Minor Basilica in 1964.
Titular Church
The Church of S. Croce was made a titular church for a Cardinal Priest by Pope Paul VI on 5 February 1965, an anticipation of a need for extra titles for new cardinals. On 22 February 1965 he created twenty-seven new Cardinals.[1]
Josef Beran, Archbishop of Prague (25 Feb 1965 — 17 May 1969)
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