Chair of St. Peter
Feast Day: February 22
Most feasts celebrate a person or an event.
On February 22, the Church celebrates a chair.
That sounds a little odd.
Until you realize what the chair stands for.
St. Peter, pray for us.
Why a Chair?
In the ancient world, a teacher sat in a chair to teach.
A bishop’s chair, called a cathedra, is a symbol of his authority to teach and govern.
That is why a bishop’s church is called a cathedral: it is where his chair is.
When we say a pope teaches ex cathedra, we mean “from the chair.”
What Jesus Gave Peter
The Chair of St. Peter celebrates the mission Jesus gave to Peter:
“And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
— Matthew 16:18
“And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”
— Matthew 16:19
Jesus also prayed for Peter’s faith and told him to “confirm thy brethren” (Luke 22:32).
And after the Resurrection, He told Peter three times, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17).
(See Why Catholics Believe Peter Was the First Pope.)
A Very Old Feast
Christians in Rome were celebrating a feast of Peter’s chair by the 300s.
It honored Peter’s role as the shepherd of the whole Church, and the ministry of his successors, the bishops of Rome.
The Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica
In the back of St. Peter’s Basilica stands a spectacular bronze monument by the artist Bernini, completed in 1666.
It encloses an ancient wooden chair, long honored as a symbol of Peter’s teaching authority.
The chair itself has been dated to the early Middle Ages, but it stands for something much older: the unbroken line of Peter’s successors.
“With the Chair of Peter”
Around A.D. 376, St. Jerome, the great Bible scholar, was living in the East during bitter disputes about who held the true faith.
He wrote to Pope Damasus in Rome:
“I follow no leader but Christ and join in communion with none but your blessedness, that is, with the chair of Peter.”
— St. Jerome, Letter 15
For Jerome, being united with Peter’s successor was the way to be sure he was united with Christ’s Church.
Praying for the Pope
This feast is a good day to pray for the pope.
He carries a heavy responsibility as the shepherd of more than a billion Catholics.
Peter himself was human, weak at times, and needed God’s grace.
So does every one of his successors.
What This Feast Teaches Us
The Chair of St. Peter teaches us that Jesus did not leave His Church without a shepherd.
He gave us a visible sign of unity.
And it invites us to stay united with the Church, praying for and supporting the successor of Peter.
When Is the Feast?
The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Apostle, on February 22.
Prayer for the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter
Lord Jesus Christ,
You built Your Church on Peter, the rock.
Bless our Holy Father, the pope, the successor of Peter.
Give him wisdom, courage, and holiness,
and keep all Your people united in one faith.
St. Peter, pray for us. Amen.
