How St. Peter's chair is inseparable from his staff

The chair that St. Peter would sit on to lead the Church, was informed by Jesus' ministry as the Good Shepherd, and so staff and chair go together.

Officials in the Roman Empire would sit on chairs when administering judgments or when engaged in official ceremonies.

Having arisen within the Roman Empire, this tradition was replicated in the Roman Catholic Church, first with St. Peter, and survives to this day. The pope and the bishops he appoints all guide the people of God from a chair.

Yet, a chair can seem passive and so it must also be remembered that the pope and bishops have astaff, which represents their role as a shepherd.

The Good Shepherd

St. John Paul II reflected on this simple truth in a homily he gave on the feast of the Chair of St. Peter in 2001:

On the feast of the Chair of St Peter, the liturgy once again offers us the famous oracle of the prophet Ezekiel, in which God reveals himself as the Shepherd of his people. Indeed, the chair is inseparable from the pastoral staff, because Christ, Teacher and Lord, came to us as the Good Shepherd (cf. Jn 10: 1-18).

He then continues with his meditation, reflecting on St. Peter’s role as Chief Shepherd of the Church:

This is how Simon, the fisherman of Capernaum, knew him: he experienced his tender and merciful love and was won over by it. His apostolic vocation and mission, summed up in the new name of Peter that he received from the Master, is based entirely on his relationship with him from the first meeting, to which his brother Andrew had called him (cf. Jn 1: 40-42), until the last one on the lake shore, when the Risen One charged him to tend his flock (cf. Jn 21: 15-19).

This means that St. Peter did not rule the Church with an “iron rod,” ready to strike down all the sinners in the Church as a strict ruler and judge.

The pastoral staff reminded St. Peter to “feed my sheep.” He understood from Jesus that to feed the flock of Christ meant to lead with “tender and merciful love.”

Teaching from the chair is certainly important, as it provides the Church necessary guidance as to how to live the Christian life.

At the same time, equally important is the staff, when St. Peter and his successors gently guide the flock with their love for all humanity.

It certainly is not an easy task, but it is a role that should never be misunderstood as a tyrannical dictator.

St. Peter and his successors must always rule with love, keeping in mind the connection between the chair and the staff.

How St. Peter’s chair is inseparable from his staff

The Good Shepherd