Chair

This feast day celebrates the authority that Jesus gave to Peter to build his church. "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). The name 'Peter' actually means rock. St. Peter was one of Jesus’ disciples and he became the first Pope of the Catholic Church, which was formed after the Holy Spirit came to the Apostles. After receiving the Holy Spirit, St. Peter went to Rome to preach the Good News of Jesus and he started the first Christian community that followed Jesus' teachings. St. Peter was put to death for following Jesus. Since St. Peter, there has always been a Bishop of Rome, a leader of the whole Catholic Church throughout the world, whose authority comes from Jesus himself. The Chair of St. Peter is the symbol of the Pope of the Catholic Church. In the place where St Peter was buried, early Christians built a small memorial. In the 4th century, the Emperor Constantine removed the memorial and built a basilica. In the 16th century, this basilica was replaced by St Peter’s basilica which is in Vatican City.