Feast of the Chair of Peter, Apostle

The purpose of this paper is to explore the spirit and meaning of the feast of the Chair of Peter, Apostle. A reality that one needs to keep in mind in this exploration is that there is a continuous shift in the meaning and spirit of feasts over the centuries. Another factor that influences the expression of a feast during a certain era is the ecclesiology that prevails at that specific time and in a specific culture. The historical genesis of this feast, Cathedra Petri, will be traced. The actual chair, the cathedra, believed to be from the earliest centuries and still visible today, played an important part in the development of the feast. A fascinating topic will be the consideration of the evolution of the claim to supremacy by the bishops of Rome. All these factors will play a role in the actual celebration of the feast, before and after the Second Vatican Council. The concluding comments will include challenges in celebrating the feast, now and into the future