Types of Ecclesiastical Churches

In relation to the feast of the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome last Wednesday, let us look at the types of Ecclesiastical buildings of the Roman Catholic Church:

Cathedral:
A cathedral is "the Bishop's church" -- the chief church of a diocese. The word is derived from the Greek kathedra through the Latin cathedra, meaning throne or seat, which is the symbol of authority.

Example: Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (or most famously known as Manila Cathedral)

Basilica:
A basilica is a church with important canonical status and privileges, usually due to its history. There are two types of basilicas: 

Major Basilicas. 
Major basilicas have a special "holy door" and a papal throne and an altar at which none may say Mass except by the pope's permission. They are also called "papal basilicas" and are associated with the great popes of the world, for ex.: 

• Basilica of St. John Lateran, also called the Lateran Basilica, is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. It is the only one called an "archbasilica". Its full official name is "Papal Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour and of Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist at the Lateran, Cathedral of Rome".^[3]
• Basilica of St. Peter's, also called the Vatican Basilica, is a major pilgrimage site, built over the burial place of Saint Peter. Perhaps the largest church in the world, it is used for most of the chief religious ceremonies in which the Pope participates. Its official name is the "Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican".
• Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, also known as the Ostian Basilica because it is situated on the road that led to Ostia, is built over the burial place of Paul the Apostle. Its official name is the "Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls".
• Basilica of St. Mary Major, also called the Liberian Basilica because the original building (not the present one) was attributed to Pope Liberius, is the largest church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, hence its name of Saint Mary Major, i.e. the Greater. Its official name is the "Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major

Minor Basilicas. 
Minor Basilicas are specially linked to the papacy and are to be places of pastoral zeal and dedication to the liturgy, including the Divine Office ("Liturgy of the Hours"). They have a sanctuary fixture known as a conopaeum (also called a papilio, pavilion, umbellina, or sinicchio), a tall, umbrella-like canopy made of alternating bands of red and yellow silk -- the colors of the papal government -- and topped with a copper Cross, the original function of which was to shelter the Pope. Basilicas are also allowed to have their own coat of arms and can have members carry a special tower with a small bell in processions. Some famous Minor Basilicas are Ste. Anne de Beaupré in Québec; Sacré Coeur in Montmartre, Paris; National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., etc. In the Philippines, example is Minor Basilica of San Sebastian and Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila.

Oratory:
An oratory is a place other than a parish church where it is canonically permissible to celebrate the Liturgy. Some are totally public, some are semi-public (such as in monasteries, hospitals, prisons, etc.), and some are private (in private homes, private oratories can only be set up by permission of the Pope).

Chapel:
Anyone can set up a chapel -- and there are many varieties of chapels, including chapels inside larger churches. But to be able to celebrate the Mass in a private chapel, permission of the Bishop is required. The word "chapel" (and the word "chaplain") derives from the Latin "cappa," meaning "cloak," in reference to the chapel built to house a certain relic -- the half of the cloak that St. Martin of Tour kept after giving the other half to a beggar.

Resource:  

http://fisheaters.com/churchbuilding2.html