The Chair of Peter is not just furniture
A few weeks ago on the 22nd of February, we celebrated the Feast of the Chair of Peter.
And many probably wondered why. One can understand the Feast of the
Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, Corpus Christi, and Christ the King.
We understand the feast days of the saints, but the Chair of Peter? Critics
of the Church will no doubt feel this is a made up feast day to justify the
Papacy. But in reality, it's proper we should commemorate the founding of the
Chair of Peter, just as we commemorate the founding of the Sacrament of the
Holy Eucharist.
If we really think about it, the Chair of Peter, the Papacy, is a great
and wonderful gift of God. A gift we often take for granted, misunderstand,
or misinterpret.
One 'charge' is that Peter was no greater than any of the other Apostles.
In a way, that's true. St. Cyprian, the martyr-bishop of Carthage wrote about
the 'Chair of Peter' and the person who held that 'office'. He points out
that He (Christ) assigned power to all the Apostles and that they were all
Peter was. However, a 'primacy' was given to Peter alone. We can see this in
Scripture.
"And Jesus came and said to them (the Apostles), 'All authority in Heaven
and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo,
I am with you always, to the close of the age.'" (Matthew. 28:18-19).
Note that Christ bestows on the Apostles His own authority. To teach as he
taught, and that He will be with them for all time, through their successors.
Many latch onto this passage as 'proof' that no 'bishop' holds any real
primacy. Hence we have some who follow 'national' Churches, where the
national bishop holds the primacy. Others see this as to mean that God gives
His authority to ALL of His disciples. But if we really read the entire
passage, we note that He is speaking only to His Apostles, not just His
disciples. (Though many newer editions replace Apostles with disciples)
Christ also gives to all His Apostles the authority to forgive sins.
" Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me,
even so I send you.' And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said
to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are
forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'" (John 20: 21-23).
And the Lord promised them the Holy Spirit to know what to teach;
"These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the
Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will
teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to
you...I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He
will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and
He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, for
He will take what is Mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is
Mine; therefore I said that He will take what is Mine and declare it to
you."(John 14:25-26 &16:12-15).
Now it's true that the Lord bestows the Holy Spirit to all His followers,
but the gifts He gives is for the building of the Church. Hence not all
receive the Holy Spirit to do as the Apostles did (ref. 1 Corinthians 12:4-31).
So far, we see no difference between Peter and the rest of the Apostles.
However, if we read the Scriptures more closely, we see a 'primacy' is given
to Peter, as well as special and unique 'gifts' that correspond to this
primacy.
First, it is Peter, not the rest of the Apostles, who is called the Rock
on which the Church is to be built.
1.Matthew 16:18: "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon
this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it."
The "rock" (Greek, "petra") referred to here is St. Peter himself, not his
faith or Jesus Christ. Christ appears here not as the foundation, but as the
architect who "builds." The Church is built, not on confessions, but on
confessors - living men (see, for example, 1 Peter 2:5). Today, the overwhelming
consensus of the great majority of all biblical scholars and commentators is
in favor of the traditional Catholic understanding. Here St. Peter is spoken
of as the foundation-stone of the Church, making him head and superior of the
family of God - that is, the seed of the doctrine of the papacy. Moreover,
"Rock" embodies a metaphor applied to him by Christ in a sense analogous to
the suffering and despised Messiah (see 1 Peter 2:4-8; Matthew 21:42). Without a solid
foundation a house falls. St. Peter is the foundation, but not founder of the
Church; administrator, but not Lord of the Church. The Good Shepherd (John
10:11) gives us other shepherds as well (Ephesians 4:11)." (The Pre-Eminence of St.
Peter - 50 New Testament Proofs by: Dave Armstrong - a convert to Catholicism
from Evangelicalism.)
The 'keys' Christ gives to Peter denotes a special responsibilty.
2. Matthew 16:19: "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of
Heaven."
The "power" of the keys has to do with ecclesiastical discipline and
administrative authority with regard to the requirements of the faith, as in
Isaiah 22:22 (see Isaiah 9:6; Job 12:14; Apocalypse/Revelation 3:7). From this power flows the use of
censures, excommunication, absolution, baptismal discipline, the imposition of
penances and legislative powers. In the Old Testament, a steward, or prime
minister, is a man who is "over a house" (Genesis 41:40; 43:19; 44:4; 1 Kings 4:6;
16:9; 18:3; 2 Kings 10:5; 15:5; 18:18; Isaiah 22:15, 20-21)." (Ibid)
Even his (Peter's) authority to 'loose and bind' is different from the
Apostles authority to forgive sin.
3. Matthew 16:19: "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in
Heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven."
"Binding" and "loosing" were technical rabbinical terms, which meant to
"forbid" and "permit" with reference to the interpretation of the law and,
secondarily, to "condemn," "place under the ban" or "acquit." Thus St. Peter
and the Popes are given the authority to determine the rules for doctrine and
life by virtue of revelation and the Spirit's leading (see John 16:13), as well
as to demand obedience from the Church. "Binding and loosing" represent the
legislative and judicial powers of the papacy and the bishops (Matthew 18:17-18; John
20:23). St. Peter, however, is the only apostle who receives these powers by
name and in the singular, making him pre-eminent." (Ibid)
Peter is the only Apostle who Christ prays for that his faith will stand,
and he is the only one told to strengthen and confirm his fellow Apostles.
"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you
like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when
you have turned again, strengthen your brethren" (Luke 22:31-32).
Peter is the only Apostle given Christ's title of the Good Shepherd, to be
the good shepherd for His flock on earth.
"Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than
these?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love You.' He said to him,
'Feed My lambs.' A second time He said to him, 'Simon, son of John, do you
love Me?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to
him, 'Tend My sheep. He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do
you love Me?' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you
love Me?" And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know everything; You know that I love
You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep" (John 21:15-17).
Peter is told to feed and tend Christ's flock on earth.
Now, why was it important for Christ to establish this 'primacy' of Peter?
Why establish, as St. Cyprian writes, "a single Chair, thus establishing by
His own authority the source and hallmark of the Church's oneness"?
Christ taught with authority. They were not mere opinions. He is THE Way,
THE Truth, and THE Life. Not A way, A truth, and A life. His teachings are
the same and hold the same authority, yesterday, today and tomorrow. (ref.
Hebrews 13:8)
Now, Christ could have promised the Holy Spirit to all His followers, the
presumption of those who believe in personal interpretation of the Scriptures.
("The Lord has given me the Holy Spirit to understand His Word.") But Christ
also knew that satan can quote Scripture as well. (ref. Matthew 4: 5-6) Even
Martin Luther saw this;
"There are as many sects and beliefs as there are heads. This fellow will
have nothing to do with baptism; another denies the sacraments; a third
believes there is another world between this and the Last Day. Some teach
that Christ is not God; some say this, some say that. There is no rustic so
rude that, if he dreams or fancies anything, it must be the whispers of the
Holy Spirit and he himself is a prophet."
So Christ establishes one Chair, one office, to confirm, strengthen, and
teach the entire Church. It is, if you will, the 'God keeping seal of
approval'.
Now, many will say that this isn't true. That Peter was just another
voice in the 1st Council of the Church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:5-21) and that
James was the head of the Council. But James was the 'host' of the Council as
the bishop of Jerusalem.
"Peter presides over and opens the first council of Christianity, and lays
down principles afterward accepted by it (Acts 15:7-11)." (The Pre-Eminence of
St. Peter - 50 New Testament Proofs by: Dave Armstrong - a convert to
Catholicism from Evangelicalism.)
Others will point out that Paul chastised Peter for his actions toward the
Gentiles. Here we see the confusion over the difference between
'infallibility' and 'impeccability'. No one said Peter was a perfect
Christian. One author says Peter, especially before his denial and
repentance, suffered from foot in mouth disease.
Paul merely pointed out that Peter, always the devout Jew, couldn't act with
a double standard. Either Gentiles were Christians or they weren't. Why say
they were brothers and not eat with them when other Jews were around? This
has been ongoing in the Church's history. The sexual excesses of Pope
Alexander (the Borgia Pope), as well as others. Peter made mistakes. The
'commune' he established was a bust, it didn't work. But it wasn't a matter
of faith and morals. Just as Pope Honorius I was accused of heresy because
the Monophysite heretics misused his 'opinion' that though Christ was of two
natures, they were of one will. (His writing to Patriarch Sergius were not
well written and offered only an opinion as a fellow bishop, not a teaching as
the Head of the Church)
Consider that it could only be the hand of God and the 'negative safeguard'
of the gift of infallibility, that kept the 'bad' Popes from changing Church
teaching to suit their own personal wants and desires.
So, it is fitting that we celebrate, commemorate, and contemplate the Feast
of the Chair of Peter every year. For by this wonderful gift of God, we can be sure that
we will not run off after fables, we will not follow a different 'shepherd'
who says, "I am he!". We can be assured that the teachings of the Church as
Christ's who sends the Holy Spirit to recall what He taught, to confirm His
teaching, and assure that Christ remains the same yesterday, today, and
tomorrow.
On Monday I will elaborate more on the Teaching Authority of the Pope for he is
infallible in faith and morals in Teaching ex cathedra "from the Chair of Peter."
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