Vatican City, Feb 21, 2006 / 22:00 pm
In his weekly Wednesday audience, held earlier today at the Vatican, Pope Benedict used the occasion of today’s Feast of the Chair of St. Peter to explain the nature and origin of the papacy itself, saying that Christ, the Good Shepherd, seeks to unite His Church and lead faithful to salvation through the esteemed office.
Today’s audience had been highly anticipated by watchers because it is the first on a theme picked entirely by Benedict himself. Last week, he completed a long running catechetical series on the Scriptural canticles and Psalms which compose the Liturgy of the Hours. It was begun by Pope John Paul II a number of years ago.
Speaking today in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall the Pope called today’s feast, the day "with which we give thanks to God for the mission entrusted to the Apostle Peter and his Successors.”
“The 'cathedra'“, he said, “is literally the seat of the bishop. ... It is the symbol of his authority and, particularly, of his 'Magisterium,' in other words of the evangelical teaching that he, as successor to the Apostles, is called to protect and transmit to the Christian community."