Rev. Gus Puleo: Celebrating the feast of The Chair of St. Peter
If you enter into Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, you would be immediately struck by the large stained-glass window that depicts the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. Below that window is an ancient wooden chair, believed to have used by Saint Peter. In the 17th century that ancient chair was encased in bronze by the famous artist Bernini. Surrounding the chair are four early Doctors of the Church. These four saints are Saint John Chrysostom, St. Athanasius, Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine. These saints represent the universality of the Church, both from the East and West, as well as the unity of their theological teaching with the authority of the Bishop of Rome. Above the chair are two angels holding the triple crown tiara used by the Bishop of Rome, symbolizing that he is the father of kings, governor of the world and Vicar of Christ. In their other hands, each angel holds a key, symbolizing the authority of the Bishop of Rome in matters of faith and morals.
The basis for this feast is found in the Gospel of Matthew`6:13-20 with a discourse between Jesus Christ and his disciples. Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Simon responded, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” With that profession of faith, Jesus changes Simon’s name to “Peter” saying, “And I tell you, you are Peter, “Petros,” and on this rock “petra” I will build my church.” In Greek the word “Peter” means a single movable stone. The Greek work “petra” means a solid rock formation that is immovable and enduring.
So, Jesus converts Peter from a single stone to a solid, fixed and immovable foundation of rock on which the Church would be built and endure until the end of time. Jesus also told Peter that He would give him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and whatever he bound on earth would be bound in heaven, and whatever he loosened on earth, it would be loosened in Heaven. Peter is singled out among the apostles to be the rock of Christ’s Church. According to Jesus Christ, the Church will be so rock solid that the “gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it”(Matthew 16:18). Although he is chosen by Jesus, Peter is a weak and fearful man. For example, after Jesus is arrested, Peter denies him three times. During the crucifixion Peter is not around.
After Jesus’s ascension into Heaven, Peter and the other disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. At that moment, Peter is more prepared for his mission. He is the first to go forth to preach the Word of God in Jerusalem. He became the first bishop of the newly evangelized city of Antioch and then he chose to go to Rome, becoming the first bishop of Rome. In that city in AD 68 he would die a martyr, crucified upside down by Emperor Nero.
On the Pope’s authority, Vatican Councils I and II affirmed that when the pope speaks Ex Cathedra, “from the chair,” he speaks with authority of Saint Peter who was entrusted with full authority to teach and govern. His teaching extends to all matters of faith and morals, and he governs the entire world as found in Lumen Gentium of Vatican II. So, on every year on February 22nd, the Church celebrates the continuing role of the Pope, the Vicar of Christ, beginning with St. Peter. The use of the term “chair” comes from the Latin word “cathedra” which means the seat of government.
On this feast day the Church acknowledges that St. Peter was the first pope and that his mission continues through the Holy Father today. His mission and that of each Pope is to care for the people of God, carry on the customs, rituals, teachings and truths of Jesus Christ, and to uphold the unity of the Church. The Church proclaims that the authority given to St. Peter by Our Lord has been handed down to Peter’s successors for the past 2,000 years. Happy Feast Day!
The Rev. Gus Puleo serves as director of the English as a Second Language (ESL) program and the Spanish Department at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, where he also teaches English and Spanish. He is a graduate of Norristown High School and attended Georgetown University, where he received B.A. and B.S. in Spanish and linguistics. He has master’s degrees in Spanish, linguistics and divinity from Middlebury College, Georgetown University and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. He holds a Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of Pennsylvania. He is the former pastor of St. Patrick Church in Norristown.
View more on Mainline Media News