"The Chair of St Peter... is a symbol of the special mission of Peter and his Successors to tend Christ’s flock, keeping it united in faith and in charity. At the beginning of the second century St Ignatius of Antioch attributed a special primacy to the Church which is in Rome, greeting her in his Letter to the Romans as the one which «presides in charity». It is because the Apostles Peter and Paul, together with many other martyrs, poured out their blood in this City, that this special task of service depends on the Community of Rome and on its Bishop. Let us, thus, return to the witness of blood and of charity. The Chair of Peter is therefore the sign of authority, but of Christ’s authority, based on faith and on love". – Pope Benedict XVI. My homily for today's feast of the Chair of St Peter can be read here. This late medieval statue of St Peter in papal robes, c.1520 is in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
