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May 1stPeter's Chair
DID YOU KNOW…? *In ancient Jewish synagogues, there was a "Moses seat," on which the man reading & interpreting the Scriptures that day would sit. We can see this as one basis in tradition for Jesus' establishing a "seat of Peter," for the New Covenant community. *That Pope Anicetus (Pope from 155-166) decreed that the clergy should not have long hair. *That the Latin word for bridge, pons or pontis (misspelled last week as "pontus") is the root word for lots of words related to the Papacy, such as pontifex, which means "pontiff" or "priest." The Pope is a bridge, mystically, between the Communion of Saints in Heaven and the Communion of Saints on earth, through the blessing and confirming of the Apostles by the Lord Himself. *St. Pontian (230-235) ordered the use of the greeting, "The Lord be with you," and the chanting of the Psalms. He was deported & condemned to work in the mines in Sardinia. *St. Siricus (384-399) was the first to assume the actual title of "Pope" (Papa) and upheld the necessity of celibacy for priests. *St. Celestine I (422-432) sent St. Patrick to Ireland. *St. Paul I (757-767) visited prisons & freed prisoners condemned for debts. He discovered the remains of St. Petronilla, who according to tradition, was St. Peter's daughter. *St. Benedict XVI, our new Pope, has stated one of his priorities will be to work diligently for the unity of Christian churches. |