From antiquity Roman Christians have celebrated the day Saint Peter first arrived to Rome and presided over the Christian community. Early records show that Romans remembered this event on January 18th. Records also show that by the early fourth century another celebration linked to Peter called the Chair of Peter was celebrated in the city on February 22nd. Both days became great celebrations of Rome’s first bishop, January 18th celebrated at a cemetery on the Via Salaria outside the city and February 22nd at the tomb of Peter on the Vatican Hill.
Both locations venerated a chair used by Saint Peter himself during his time in Rome. Bishops in the early Church presided over the community sitting on a chair from where they preached and taught on the Lord’s Day. The chair of the bishop, or cathedra in Latin, became a symbol of the teaching authority of the bishop since as bishop, he was a successor of the apostles commissioned and sent by Jesus himself to preach to all nations.
The Christians of Rome treasured Saint Peter’s cathedrae since they represented Peter’s authority as an apostle and as the one to whom Jesus said, “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church.”
The cathedra kept at the Via Salaria seems to have perished due to invasions and attacks of Rome in the sixth and seventh centuries. The other cathedra continues to be stored in a beautiful reliquary at Saint Peter Basilica at the Altar of the Chair in the apse of the Vatican basilica.
The altar was designed and built by the famous Lorenzo Bernini in 1666. A huge black chair seems to be suspended in the middle of clouds while the Holy Spirit descends on top depicted on alabaster window. Below the chair you find larger than life sized sculptures of the original four doctors of the Church: Saint Ambrose, Saint Athanasius, Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Augustine. The large chair encases the small wooden cathedra of Saint Peter.
In every cathedral throughout the world you will find the cathedra or chair of the bishop. Only the bishop may sit on it since it represents his authority. At Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican you find the cathedra of Peter signifying the living voice of Peter present in his successors. To see the cathedra of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope’s cathedra, you must visit the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the cathedral of Rome. Saint John Lateran was built by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century to be the bishop’s principal church and the bishops of Rome lived there until the 14th century.
The Church continues to celebrate the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter on February 22nd, giving thanks to God for the gift of Saint Peter and his successors who continue to guide and shepherd the Church. Just as the early Christians treasured Saint Peter’s presence, today we treasure Pope Francis who connects us to the apostolic roots of our faith.
Bernini’s High Altar with the Altar of the Chair behind. Candles are lit on the feast day, one candle per Pope.
With my mom at Saint Peter’s on the Feast of the Chair of Peter, 2006
Pictures are mine, all rights reserved.
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