The Chair of St. Peter - “ex cathedra” ~reflex on Mt. 16:13-19

Have you seen the actual wooden chair in Rome (now enclosed in a sculpted bronze casing) that some believe was used by St. Peter, the first pope? While we do not know for certain that he sat on it, this chair represents the unbroken succession of popes through 2000 years since the moment we read about today in Matthew’s Gospel.

Caesarea Philippi sat atop a huge hill, with a cliff of solid rock on one side – it was magnificent and seemed invincible. It is here that Peter proclaims Jesus as the Christ, and here that the Lord chooses to reveal that his Church will be invincible, founded on the rock of Peter, who is given authority to rule in Jesus’ Name.

Five words spoken by Jesus Christ in this setting reveal that the Son of God DID come to establish a Church: he says clearly that on this rock “I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH.” The authority given to Peter, that rock and the first pope, is symbolized by the “keys of the Kingdom” (given in ancient Israel to the King’s master of the palace), and the “binding and loosing” (the authority of the Jewish synagogue leader to expel and reinstate people to the synagogue to preserve its moral integrity). These words held profound weight to his listeners, who understood well the responsibility Jesus was giving to the Church community, with Peter as head Shepherd. This was confirmed after Jesus’ Resurrection, when he told Peter to feed his lambs and tend his sheep; these are the tasks of a shepherd, not one of the flock. And on Pentecost, Peter takes on the fullness of his responsibility when he initiates the evangelization of the world by speaking boldly to the crowds gathered. He has been given the supreme Pastoral office, to be handed on throughout the centuries to the present day.

We can forget that the kingdom is truly present on earth in the Church, and that the popes are Christ’s vicars to the world. We can also forget that the way of the Church is the way of Christ, which is the Way of the Cross, through which victory over sin and death is won: 28 of the first 33 popes were martyred, as were many of the early Christians!

And while it is true that popes are also sinners, and that fallen human nature can sometimes abuse the authority of this role (so that there have certainly been a few problematic leaders and a few “anti-popes”), no pope has ever spoken erroneously when speaking with the full authority of this role as leader of the Church (“ex cathedra” is the term we use; it means “from the chair”). In fact, most have led the Church with humility and courage; 83 popes are recognized as Saints and nine as Blesseds.

Today, let us give thanks that divine Providence has promised to these frail human instruments the security of the Holy Spirit to conserve and pass on the Truth, which is Christ.