RBWords

     The celebration of the feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle is a way of reminding us of the central importance of the papacy in the Catholic church.  Over the centuries since Jesus' death and resurrection this ministry of leadership has had its ups and downs, but it has remained a point of unity for the church.  The ups and downs have been the result of the characters who have held the position.  This, as in all things involving humans trying to express the divine, means the whole gamut from saints to scoundrels!  The very ministry itself is a point of contention between the Orthodox church and the "Roman" Catholic church, with its many different rites.  The history of the ministry is fascinating but I cannot get into that in this limited space.

     There are those who find the more medieval expressions, especially in the ceremonies and costumes, of the papacy very comforting - a reassurance of God's presence.  Others find the idea of one person, divinely assured of infallibility in matters of faith and morals, to be more helpful.  The contrasts between the last four or five popes should alert us to varying styles and temperaments of leadership.  Pope Francis, the current occupant of the "Chair" is leaning toward a more consultative (synodal) style in the Western (Latin) church that the Eastern part of the church has had for centuries.  This is disconcerting to those who like the more top-down pyramid model.  

     The liturgical acknowledgment of the importance of the papacy is a reminder of how this ministry is part of even the most minimal expressions of our faith.  It comes from Jesus himself, but we have managed to give it a colorful history.  AMEN