February 22 + The Chair of Saint Peter

Today we honor Christ choosing Peter to sit in His place as the servant-authority of the Universal Church. Jesus told 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. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.” (St. Matthew 16:18-19) It is with this pastoral responsibility given to him that Peter (and all future popes) became the shepherd of Christ’s flock.

This feast is a very ancient tradition, proven to have existed in Rome since the fourth century and it reaffirms our faith in Christ's decision in choosing Peter as the first bishop and Pope of the Church established by Christ. As Pope Benedict XVI said, "The Chair is a symbol of the special mission of Peter and his Successors to tend Christ’s flock, keeping it united in faith and in charity.”

There is however, a physical object known as "the Chair of Saint Peter." It is housed at the Vatican, at the back of Saint Peter's Basilica. The wooden throne encased in bronze by Bernini was given to Pope John VIII by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles the Bald in 875.