BENEDICT XVI: NEWS, PAPAL TEXTS, PHOTOS AND COMMENTARY

See preceding page for my belated posts on the consistory yesterday, 2/18/12.



February 19, Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
FEAST OF PETER'S CHAIR
This feast is usually celebrated on February 22 but it has been moved up to this Sunday because February 22 this year falls on Ash Wednesday.

The feast commemorates Christ’s choice of Peter to sit in his place as the servant-authority of the whole Church. Already in the second half of the 8th century, an ancient wooden Chair inlaid with ivory was venerated and traditionally held to be the Episcopal chair on which St. Peter sat as he instructed the faithful of Rome. In fact, it is a throne in which fragments of acacia wood are visible, which could be part of the chair of St. Peter, encased in oak and reinforced with iron bands. Several rings facilitated its transportation during processions. Pope Alexander VII commissioned Bernini to build a sumptuous monument which would give prominence to this ancient wooden chair. Bernini built a throne in gilded bronze, richly ornamented with bas-reliefs in which the chair was enclosed: two pieces of furniture, one within the other. It was installed in 1666 on the altar just below the alabaster window depicting the Holy Spirit. Every February 22, the altar of Peter's Chair is decorated with dozens of lighted candles, while the familiar black sculpture of St. Peter is dressed in full papal regalia.

Left, Bernini's altar of Peter's Chair - the Church Doctors holding up the Chair are, on the left, Augustine and John Chrysostom, and on the right, Athanasius and Ambrose. Center, the altar with the lighted candles on Feb. 22; right, Arnolfo di Cambio's sculpture of St. Peter, dressed in papal regalia every Feb. 22.

Also commemorated today:

ST. CORRADO (Conrad) DA PIACENZA (Italy, 1290-1350), Lay Franciscan, Hermit
Corrado and his wife both belonged to nobility in Piacenza, central Italy. One day, during a hunt,
he accidentally set fire to a field that spread to the nearby forest. A peasant was accused and
sentenced to death for the crime. Corrado owned up and had to indemnify all the damages. This
drained his personal resources, and soon thereafter, he and his wife entered the religious life.
She joined the Poor Clares. He joined the Third Order of Franciscans, where he soon earned such
a reputation for holiness and received so many visitors that he left for Noto, in Sicily, where he
lived for 36 years until his death as a hermit. He was a reputed miracle-worker even in his solitary
life of prayer. He is said to have died on his knees before a Crucifix. For some reason, he is invoked
to cure hernias. He was canonized in 1625.
Readings for today's Mass: usccb.org/bible/readings/021912.cfm


AT THE VATICAN TODAY

Holy Mass concelebrated with the new cardinals - On the Feast of Peter's Chair, the Holy Father spoke
of the Petrine ministry and its responsibility for the universal Church. In his Angelus message afterwards,
he called on the faithful to pray for the new cardinals.


P.S. 2/20/12 - I was too distracted yesterday to remember to post my 'monthly-versary' tribute to the Holy Father:

SIX YEARS & TEN MONTHS TODAY, AND COUNTING....

AD MULTOS ANNOS, SANCTE PATER!

We can never love you enough.

Interesting sidelight: After Feb. 29 this year, Benedict XVI will overtake John Paul II as the 6th oldest Pope since 1400 - when he will be 84 years, 10 months, 2 weeks and 1 day old (JPII's age when he died). The other 5 Popes before him, with their Pontificate years and age at death) are: Leo XIII (1878-1703), 93; Clement XII (1730-1740), 87; Clement IX (167-1676), 86; Pius IX (1846-1878), 85; and Innocent XIII (1691-1700), 85. More than ever, AD MULTOS ANNOS, SANCTE PATER!