Br. Damian Day, O.P., on the Chair of St. Peter

"Few experiences are as unexpectedly unnerving - and embarrassing - as settling yourself into a chair only to have it buckle and break, dropping you flailing on the floor. Chairs are supposed to be secure and trustworthy, things that hold us up and protect us. Most chairs will eventually fail; one won't. [Yesterday we celebrated] that sturdiest of chairs, the Chair of St. Peter.

"While the physical Chair of St. Peter, magnificently encased in bronze by Bernini, has proved surprisingly durable for a sixth-century piece of wooden furniture, the spiritual stability it represents is eternally rock solid. The pope's teaching authority is a gift Christ gives to the Church which, like a good chair, gives stability and security to our faith.

"What prevents the pope's chair from collapsing, however, is not bronze, but the true rock: 'And the rock was Christ' (1 Cor 10:4)."

In a recent commentary, Brother Damian Day, O.P., reflected on the sturdiness of the Chair of Saint Peter.

To access Br. Damien's complete reflection, please visit:

Dominicana: Why the Chair of Saint Peter Will Never Break (22 FEB 21)