De cathedra sancti Petri
The Threefold Chair of Peter
The authority of Saint Peter is defined through his royal, priestly, and magisterial roles.
The chair is said to be threefold: namely, royal, II. Kings. 22: David sitting on the chair, and so on; ; priestly, I. Kings, 1: Eli the priest sitting on the seat; and magisterial, Matthew, 23: on the chair of Moses, and so on. Blessed Peter, therefore, sat in the royal chair because he was the prince of all kings; in the priestly chair because he was the shepherd of all clergy; and in the magisterial chair because he was the teacher of all Christians.
The Antioch Ministry and the Resurrection Miracle
Peter's imprisonment in Antioch, his rescue by Paul, and the miracle of raising Theophilus's son establish the foundation of his episcopal authority.
The Church celebrates the feast of the Chair of Saint Peter because it is said that it was then that blessed Peter was raised to the honor of the episcopal chair at Antioch; the origin of this solemnity seems to have a fourfold cause. The first cause is this: when blessed Peter was preaching at Antioch, Theophilus, the prince of that city, said to him, "Peter, why are you subverting my people?" When Peter was preaching the faith of Christ to him, Theophilus had him thrown into chains and left him without food or drink; but when Peter was nearly at the point of death, he regained his strength, lifted his eyes to heaven, and said, "Lord Jesus Christ, helper of the miserable, help me in these tribulations, for I am failing." The Lord answered him, "Peter, do you believe you've been abandoned by me?" "You disparage my goodness if you don't fear to say such things against me." There is one at hand who can help you in your misery. Hearing of Peter's imprisonment, Paul came to Theophilus and claimed to be a master craftsman in many works and arts, saying that he knew how to carve wood and stone, paint tents, and work diligently at many other things. He was then earnestly requested by Theophilus to stay with him in his court. A few days later, Paul went secretly to Peter in prison; seeing him nearly dead and wasted away, he began to weep bitterly, and as he embraced him, he wept and broke out, saying, "O Peter, my brother, my glory, my joy, half of my soul, regain your strength at my arrival." Then Peter, opening his eyes and recognizing him, began to weep, but he couldn't speak to him; Paul hurried over, barely managed to open his mouth, and by giving him food, revived him. Once Peter had been strengthened by food, he rushed to embrace Paul, and both wept bitterly; meanwhile, Paul returned secretly and said to Theophilus, "Good Theophilus, your glory and your courtesy are great, and you are a friend to honesty." A small evil tarnishes many good things; remember what you did to that servant of God called Peter, as if it were some great achievement. He is ragged, deformed, and wasted by hunger, and in every way he seems worthless, yet he shines through his words alone; and is it right to put such a man in prison? If he were enjoying his usual freedom, he could be more useful to you, for as some say of that man, he heals the sick and raises the dead. Theophilus replied, "These things you say are fables, Paul, for if he could raise the dead, he would have freed himself from prison." Paul answered him, "Just as his Christ rose from the dead (as they say), yet refused to come down from the cross, so Peter (as they say) doesn't use this as an excuse to free himself, and he doesn't fear to suffer for Christ." Theophilus said to him, "Tell him, then, to raise my son who has been dead for fourteen years, and I will restore him to you, safe and free." Paul went in, then, and explained how he had promised the resurrection of the prince's son. Peter replied to him, "Paul, you've promised a great thing, but through the Lord's power, it's a very easy one." But when Peter had been led out of prison and prayed before the open tomb, he immediately rose again. It doesn't seem at all likely that Paul would have used human cunning to fake such a miracle, or that the young man's sentence would have been left hanging for fourteen years. Then Theophilus, the entire population of Antioch, and many others believed in the Lord and built a glorious church. In the middle of it, they placed a high chair and raised Peter up so he could be seen and heard by everyone. He sat there for seven years, though he later went to Rome and sat in the Roman chair for twenty-five years. The Church celebrates the first honor, however, because that was when the leaders of the Church first began to be exalted in position, power, and name. Therefore, what is read in the Psalm was fulfilled. "Let them exalt him in the church," and so on. It should be noted that there is a threefold church in which blessed Peter was exalted: the church of the militant, the malignant, and the triumphant.
The Threefold Church and the Feast's Significance
The Church honors Peter three times a year to reflect his standing in the militant, malignant, and triumphant Church, as well as his office and benefits.
He was exalted into this threefold Church according to the three feasts the Church celebrates in his honor. He was exalted in the Church Militant by presiding over it and guiding it commendably in spirit, faith, and conduct; this refers to the feast celebrated today, known as the Chair, because it was then that he accepted the pontificate over the Church of Antioch and led it commendably for seven years. Secondly, he was exalted in the Church of the Malignant by breaking it apart and converting it to the faith. This relates to the second feast, which is called 'in Chains'. At that time he broke the Church of the Malignant and converted many to the faith; thirdly, he was exalted in the Church Triumphant by entering it joyfully, and this relates to the third feast, which is that of his passion, because it was then that he entered the Church Triumphant. It should also be noted that the Church celebrates his feast three times a year for many other reasons, but specifically because of his primary standing or privilege, his office, his benefit, his debt, and his example. Regarding his privilege: because blessed Peter was privileged above the other apostles in three ways, the Church honors him three times a year for these three privileges. He was more worthy than the others in authority, since he stood as the prince of the apostles and received the keys of the kingdom of heaven; he was more fervent in love, for he loved Christ with greater fervor than the others, as is shown in many places in the Gospel; and he was more effective in power, for as it is read in the Acts, the sick were healed by the shadow of Peter. Second, because of his office. He held the office of leadership over the entire Church, and therefore, just as Peter was the prince and leader of the whole Church—which is spread across the three parts of the world, namely Asia, Africa, and Europe—so the Church celebrates his feast three times a year. Third, because of the benefit, since he who received the power to bind and to loose frees us from three kinds of sins: those of thought, word, and deed—or, the sins we have committed against God, against our neighbor, and against ourselves. Alternatively, this benefit can be understood as a threefold benefit that a sinner obtains in the Church by the power of the keys. The first is the manifestation of absolution from guilt; the second is the commutation of purgatorial punishment into temporal punishment; the third is the partial relaxation of temporal punishment. And because of this threefold benefit, Saint Peter is to be honored in a threefold way. Fourth, because of the debt, for since he has fed and continues to feed us in three ways—namely, by word, by example, and by temporal support or the help of his prayers—we are therefore obligated to honor him in a threefold way. Fifth, because of the example, so that no sinner may despair, even if he has denied God three times, as Peter did, provided that he is willing to confess Him as Peter did—in heart, in word, and in deed.
Penance, Banquets, and the Clerical Tonsure
The feast is further explained through the repentance of Antioch, the replacement of pagan banquet customs, and the origin of the clerical tonsure.
The second reason for its institution comes from the itinerary of Clement. For when... As Peter approached Antioch to preach the word of God, everyone from that city came out to meet him barefoot, wearing hairshirts, and covering their heads with dust, doing penance because they had consented to Simon Magus against him. Peter, seeing their penance, gave thanks to God; then they brought forward all who were troubled by illnesses and exhausted by demons, and when Peter had ordered them to be placed before him and had invoked the name of the Lord over them, an immense light appeared there and they were all immediately healed, running and kissing the feet of Saint Peter. Then, within seven days, more than ten thousand people received baptism, so that Theophilus, the prince of that city, had his house consecrated as a basilica and had a high chair placed there for Peter, so that he could be seen and heard by everyone. This doesn't contradict what was said earlier. For it could have happened that Peter was received magnificently by Theophilus and the whole population through the work of Paul, but when Peter left, Simon Magus perverted the people and incited them gravely against Peter, though later, doing penance, he received him back honorably. This feast of the Chair of Saint Peter is commonly called the feast of the 'banquets' of blessed Peter, and from this the third reason for the institution of this feast is taken; for it was an ancient custom of the Gentiles (as Master John Beleth says) to offer banquets every year on a certain day in the month of February over the tombs of their parents, and demons would consume them at night, while they thought they were being devoured by the souls wandering around the tombs, which they called shadows. The ancients used to say (as the same author notes) that when they are in human bodies, they are called souls; in the underworld, shades; but they called them spirits when they ascended to the heavens, and shadows when the burial was recent or when they wandered around tombs. This custom of feasting was hard to root out among Christians, so the holy fathers, observing this and wishing to eradicate it entirely, established the feast of the Chair of Saint Peter—both the one in Rome and the one in Antioch—on the very same day those celebrations used to take place; hence, some still call it the feast of the banquets of Saint Peter. Fourth, it was instituted out of reverence for the clerical tonsure; it should be noted that, according to some traditions, the tonsure of clerics first began here. While Peter was preaching in Antioch, they shaved the top of his head to mock the Christian name—a practice now handed down to the entire clergy as an honor, because what was once inflicted upon the prince of the apostles in contempt for Christ is now held in high regard. Regarding the clerical tonsure itself, three things are observed: the shaving of the head, the cutting of the hair, and the circular shape. The shaving of the upper head is done for three reasons, two of which Dionysius assigns in the Celestial Hierarchy, stating that the cutting of hair signifies a clean and unadorned life; for when hair is cut or the head is shaved, three things follow: the preservation of cleanliness, the removal of vanity, and the baring of the head. The preservation of cleanliness, because filth gathers on the head from hair; the removal of vanity, because hair is for adornment; therefore, the tonsure signifies a clean and unadorned life. For this signifies that clerics ought to have cleanliness of mind inwardly and an unadorned—that is, not an extravagant—appearance outwardly.
The Symbolism of the Tonsure
The circular tonsure is interpreted as a symbol of clerical purity, simplicity, and detachment from worldly vanity.
Shaving the head signifies that there should be nothing between a person and God; they ought to be united to God immediately and, with an unveiled face, behold the glory of the Lord. The cutting of the hair is done so that it may be understood from this that clerics ought to cut away all superfluous thoughts from their minds, keep themselves always ready and prepared to hear the word of God, and thus completely remove from themselves all worldly things, except for what is necessary. The circular shape is adopted for many reasons. First, because this shape has no end or beginning, by which it is meant that the ministers of God are clerics who have neither beginning nor end. Second, because this shape has no corners, signifying that clerics ought not to have any filth in their lives, for where there is a corner, there is filth, as Bernard says. They ought to hold to the truth in their teaching, because truth does not love corners, as Jerome says. Third, because this shape is the most beautiful of all shapes, and it is in this shape that God created the heavenly creatures. This signifies that clerics ought to possess beauty both inwardly in their minds and outwardly in their conduct. Fourth, because this shape is the simplest of all shapes; for as Augustine says, no figure consists of a single line, and the circular figure is the only one that is enclosed by just one line. This signifies that the clergy ought to have the simplicity of doves, according to the saying: 'be as simple as doves.'
Read the original Latin
Cathedra triplex esse dicitur, scilicet regalis, II. Reg. XXII: David sedens in cathedra etc. ; sacerdotalis, I. Reg. I: Heli sacerdote sedente super sellam; magistralis, Matth. XXIII: super cathedram Moysis etc. Beatus ergo Petrus sedit in cathedra regali, quia fait princeps omnium regum, sacerdotali, quia fuit pastor omnium clericorum, magistrali, quia fuit doctor omnium christianorum.
Cathedra sancti Petri ab ecclesia festive recolitur, quia tunc beatus Petrus apud Antiochiam in cathedrali honore sublimatus fuisse perhibetur, Hnjus autem sollemnitatis institutio quadruplicem causam habere videtur. Prima causa est; cum enim beatus Petrus apud Antiochiam praedicaret, Theophilus princeps civitatis illius ei dixit: Petre, qua ratione populum meum subvertis? Cum ergo Petrus sibi fidem Christi praedicaret, ille eum vinculari fecit et sine cibo et potu eum manere permisit, sed cum Petrus jam paene deficeret, resumtis tamen viribus elevans oculos ad coelum ait: Jesu Christe miserorum adjutor adjuva me in his tribulationibus deficientem. Cui dominus respondit: Petre, credis te derelictum a me? Meae bonitati derogas, si talia contra me dicere non formides. Praesto est, qui tuae subveniat miseriae, Audiens autem Paulus de incarceratione Petri ad Theophilum venit et se in multis operibus et artibus summum opificem esse asseruit, ligna et tabulas se scire sculpere, tentoria pingere et multa alia industrie operari dixit. Qni a Theophilo obnixe rogatur, ut in ejus curia secum consistat. Evolutis paucis diebus Paulus ad Petrum absconse in carcerem introivit: quem videns paene mortuum et consumtum amarissime flere coepit et in amplexus ejus quasi flendo delicicbat et prorumpens sic inquit: o Petre frater meus, gloria mea, meum gaudium , dimidium animae meae, meo introitu resume vires, Tunc Petrus oculos aperiens et ipsum cognoscens laerymari coepit, sed sibi loqui non potuit, et aecurrens Panlus vix os ejus aperuit et imponens cibum ipsum refocillavit.
Cum autem Petrus cibo confortatus fuisset, accurrens in oscula Pauli ruit et ambo plurimum fleverunt, Paulus autem occulte rediens Theophilo dixit: o bone Theophile, magna est gloria tua et curialitas tua, honestatis amica. Dehonestat multa bona exiguum malum, reminiscere, quid fecisti illi Deicolae, qui dicitur Petrus, velut esset aliquid magnum. Pannosus, deformis, macie consumtus, per omnia vilescit, solo sermone clarescit; et talem decet in carcere ponere? Qui potius si libertate solita frueretur, posset tibi in aliquo utilior esse, nam sicut de illo homine quidam ajunt, infirmos sanat, mortuos suscitat. Cui Theophilus: fabnlosa sunt ista, Paule, quae dicis, qnia si mortuos snscitare posset, et se ipsum de carcere liberaret. Cui Paulus: sicut Christus suus a mortuis resurrexit (ut dicunt), qui tamen de cruce descendere noluit, sic Petrus (ut ajunt) hoc exemplo se non liberat et pati pro Christo non formidat. Cui Theophilus: dic ergo ei, ut filium meum jam per quattuordecim annos mortuum resuscitet et incolumem eum reddam et liberum. Ingrediens igitur Panlns dixit, 12 quomodo resuscitationem filii principis spopondisset.
Cui Petrus: rem grandem, Paule, promisisti, sed tamen domini virtute facillimam. Sed cum Petrus eductus de carcere monumento aperto pro o orasset, continuo resurrexit. Hoc autem per omnia verisimile non videtur, ut aut Paulus humana astutia se talia fabrilia scire componere fingeret et sententia juvenis per quattuordecim annos suspensa fuisset. Tunc Theophilus et universus populus Antiochiae et alii quam plures domino crediderunt et gloriosam ecclesiam fabricaverunt, in cujus medio excelsam cathedram collocaverunt et Petrum, ut ab omnibus videri et audiri posset, exaltaverunt, in qua septem annis sedit, sed postmodum veniens Romam in romana cathedra sedit XXV annis. De primo tamen honore ecclesia celebrat, quia tunc primo praelati ecclesiae coeperunt loco, potestate ct nomine sublimari. Tunc ergo impletum est illud, quod legitur in Psalm. : exaltent eum in ecclesia etc. , et notandum, quod triplex est ecclesia, in qua beatus Petrus fuit exaltatus, scilicet ecelesia militantium, malignantium et triumphantium.
— In hane triplicem ecelesiam exaltatus est secundum triplicem festivitatem, quam de ipso ecclesia celebrat. Est exaltatus in ecclesia militantium eidem praesidendo et eam in animo et fide et moribus laudabiliter regendo: et hoc quantum ad solemnitatem hodiernam, quae dicitur cathedra, quia tunc super Antiochenam ecclesiam pontificatum accepit èt eam VII annis laudabiliter rexit. Secundo est exaltatus in ecclesia malignantium, ipsam scilicet dissipando et eam ad fidem convertendo. Et hoc pertinet ad secundam festivitatem, quae dicitur ad vincula. Tunc enim malignantium eeclesiam dissipavit et multos ad fidem convertit, Tertio est exaltatus in ecclesia triumphantium in ipsam feliciter introeundo et hoc quantum ad tertiam solemnitatem, quae est passionis ejus, quia tunc ecclesiam triumphantium introivit. Notandum etiam, quod pluribus aliis rationibus ecclesia ter in anno de eo festivitatem facit, sed propter primordiale principium vel privilegium, propter officium, propter beneficium , propter debitum et propter exemplum. Propter privilegium, quoniam beatus Petrus ab aliis apostolis in tribus fuit privilegiatus, propter quae tria privilegia ecclesia ter in anno eum honorat. Fuit enim prae caeteris dignior in auctoritate, quoniam princeps apostolorum exstitit et claves regni coelorum accepit, ferventior in amore, cum majore enim fervore Christum dilexit, quam caeteri, sicut in multis locis evangelii manifestatur, et efficacior in virtute, nam ad umbram Petri, nt legitur in Actibus, sanabantur infirmi.
Secundo propter officium. Ipse enim officium praelationis super universam ecclesiam habuit et ideo, sicut Petrus fuit princeps et praelatus totius ecclesiae, quae diffusa est in tribus partibus mundi, scilicet Asia, Africa et Europa, ita ecclesia ter in anno celebrat festum ejus. Tertio propter beneficium, quia ipse, qui potestatem accepit ligaudi atque absolvendi, liberat nos a tribus generibus peccatorum, scilicet cogitationis, locutionis et operationis: vel quod in Deum, quod in proximum, quod in nos peccavimus. Vel istud beneficium potest esse triplex beneficium aliud, quod virtute clavium peccator in ecclesia consequitur. Primum est absolutionis à reatu ostensio, secundum poenae purgatoriae in temporalem commutatio, tertium poenae temporalis secundum partem relaxatio. Et propter hoc triplex beneficium sanctus Petrus est tripliciter honorandus. Quarto propter debitum, quia enim ipse tripliciter pavit et pascit nos, scilicet verbo, exemplo et temporali subsidio, sive orationis suffragio, ideo ebligamur, ut ipsum tripliciter honoremus. Quinto propter exemplum, ut nullus peccator desperet, etiam si tertio, sicut Petrus, Deum negaverit, si tamen eum sicut ipse velit corde, ore, opere confiteri.
Secunda causa institutionis est haec, quae quidem de itinerario Clementis est sumta. Cum enim. Petrus verbum Dei praedicans Antiochiam appropinquaret, omnes de civitate illa ei obviaverunt nudis pedibus pergentes, ciliciis se induentes et caput pulvere aspergentes, agentes poenitentiam, quod contra eum Symoni mago consensissent. Petrus vero eorum poenitentiam videns gratias Deo egit; tunc illi obtulerunt omnes vexatos languoribus et daemonibus fatigatos, quos cum Petrus ante se poni jussissel et super eos nomen domini invocasset, immensum lumen ibi apparuit et omnes protinus sunt sanati, currentes et osculantes vestigia sancti Petri. Tunc intra septem dies plus quam decem millia hominum baptisma susceperunt, ita ut Theophilus princeps civitatis illius domum suam in basilicam fecerit consecrari et ibidem Petro excelsam cathedram collocari, ut ab omnibus videretur et audiretur. Nec istud contrarium est his, quae superius dicta sunt. Potuit enim fieri, quod Petrus per operationem Pauli a Theophilo et toto populo magnifice sit susceptus, sed recedente Petro Symon magus populum pervertit et contra Petrum graviter incitàvit, postmodó vero poenitentiam agens iterum honorabiliter eum recepit. Hoc autem festum de incathedratione sancti Petri consuevit appellari festum epularum beati Petri et hinc tertia ratio sumitur institutionis hujus festi, consuetudo enim fuit antiquitus gentilium (ut ait magister Johannes Beleth) singulis annis in mense Februario certo die epulas offerre super tumulos parentum suorum et eas de nocte daemones consumebant, ipsi autem ab animabus circum tumulos errantibus, quas umbras vocabant, vastari putabant.
Solebant enim antiqui dicere (ut idem ait), quod, quando in humanis corporibus sunt, dicuntur animae, in inferis manes, spiritus vero vocabant, quando ad coelos adscendebaut, umbras, quando recens erat sepultura sive quando circa tumulos errabant. Haec autem consuetudo de epulis vix a christianis potuit exstirpari, quod sancti patres attendentes et penitus hoc exstirpare volentes festum de incathedratione beati Petri, tum de illa , quae fuit Romae, tum de illa, quae fuit Antiochiae, statuerunt; illo scilicet eodem die, quo talia fiebant, unde ab illis epulis adhuc ab aliquibus festum epularum beati Petri vocatur. Quarto instituta est propter reverentiam coronae clericalis; notandum enim, quod juxta aliquorum traditionem corona clericorum hic primo sumsit initium. Nam dum Petrus Antiochiae praedicaret, in contumeliam nominis christiani summitatem ejus capitis abraserunt, quod quidem postmodum toti clero traditur in honorem, quod pro Christo apostolorum principi in contumeliam fuerat irrogatum. Circa autem ipsam coronam clericorum tria attenduntur, scilicet capitis abrasio, capillorum detruncatio et formae circulatio. Abrasio antem in superiori parte capitis fit triplici ratione, quarum duas assignat Dyonisius in Coelesti Hierarchia dicens: detonsio capillorum significat mundam et non formabilem vitam, ad capillorum enim detonsionem sive capitis abrasionem tria sequuntur, scilicet munditiae conservatio, deformatio et denudatio. Munditiae conservatio, quia ex capillis sordes in capite aggregantur, deformatio, quia capilli ad ornatum sunt, significat ergo tonsura mundam et non formabilem vitam. Hoc enim significat, quod clerici debent habere munditiam mentis interius et non formabilem id est non exquisitum habitum exterius.
Denudatio autem significat, quod inter se et Deum nihil debet esse medium, sed immediate Deo debent uniri et revelata facie domini gloriam speculari. Capillorum detruncatio fit, ut ex hoc detur intelligi, quod clerici omnes cogitationes superfinas a mente sua debent abscindere et ad verbum Dei semper auditam paratum et expeditum habere et sic omnia temporalia praeterquam ad necessitatem a se penitus removere. Fit autem ciroularis figura multiplici ratione. Primo quoniam haec figura non habet finem neque principium, per quod datur intelligi, quod ministri Dei sunt clerici, qui nec habet principium neque finem. Secundo quomiam haec figura nullum angulum habet et significat, quod clerici non debent habere sordes in vita, quoniam ubi angulus, ibi sordes (ut dicit Bernardus). Et debent habere veritatem in doctrinà, quoniam veritas angulos non amat (sicut dicit Hieronymus). Tertio quoniam haec figura est omnium figurarum pulcherrima, unde in hanc Deus coelestes creaturas fecit. Per quod significatur, quod clerici debent habere pulchritudinem interius in mente et exterius in conversatione.
Quarto quoniam haec figura est omnium figurarum simplicissima, nulla enim figura (ut dicit Augustinus) ex una linea consistit, sola circularis figura est, quae una tantum linea clauditur. Per quod significatur, quod clerici habere debent simplicitatem columbarum juxta illud: et simplices sicut columbae.
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