A cathedra (Latin, "chair", from Greek, kathedra, "seat") is the chair or throne of a bishop. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly A chair is a kind of Furniture for Sitting, consisting of a back and sometimes arm rests commonly for use by one person This article is about royal thrones for the order of Angels by the same name see Thrones. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches. In Education, a teacher is one who helps Students or pupils often in a School, as well as in a Family, religious or In Politics, authority ( Latin Auctoritas, used in Roman law as opposed to Potestas and Imperium The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christian churches of Byzantine See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Cathedra is the Latin word for a chair with armrests; its Roman connotations of authority reserved for the Emperor were adopted by bishops after the 4th century. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. A chair is a kind of Furniture for Sitting, consisting of a back and sometimes arm rests commonly for use by one person The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial In this sense, it is sometimes referred to as a "bishop's throne. " A church into which a bishop's official cathedra is installed is called a cathedral or co-cathedral — the seat of a particular church called a diocese. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral A co-cathedral is a Cathedral church which shares the function of being a Bishop 's seat or cathedra, with another cathedral A particular Church is in Catholic theology and canon law, an ecclesial community headed by a bishop or someone recognized as the equivalent of a bishop In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop.
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Cathedra Petri
The definitive example of a cathedra is that encased within the Triumph of the cathedra Petri designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1657 and completed and installed in 1666. "Bernini" redirects here For people named Bernini see Bernini (surname. As early as the 8th century, an ancient wooden chair overlaid with ivory plaques depicting the Labors of Hercules and some of the signs of the Zodiac was venerated as the episcopal chair of St. Peter himself. The Twelve Labours of Hercules (Greek Δωδεκαθλος, dodekathlos) age a series of archaic episodes connected by a later continuous narrative concerning In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or Zodiac denotes an annual cycle of twelve stations along the Ecliptic, the apparent path of the sun across the heavens through the Constellations that divide the ecliptic In fact, it is a Byzantine throne enframing fragments of acacia wood encased in the oak carcass and reinforced with iron bands. Acacia is a Genus of Shrubs and Trees belonging to the Subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first Several rings facilitated its transportation during processions. Pope Alexander VII commissioned Bernini to build a sumptuous monument which would present this relic in a truly triumphant manner. Pope Alexander VII ( February 13, 1599 &ndash May 22, 1667) born Fabio Chigi, was Pope from April 7, Bernini's gilded bronze throne, richly ornamented with bas-reliefs encloses the relic. On January 17, 1666 it was solemnly set above the altar of Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. The Basilica of Saint Peter (Basilica Sancti Petri officially known in Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St Vatican City, officially the State of the Vatican City (Stato della Città del Vaticano is a Landlocked sovereign City-state whose territory Four over-lifesized sculptures of Doctors of the Church form an honor guard: St. Doctor of the Church ( Latin doctor, teacher from Latin docere, to teach is a title given by a variety of Christian Churches to individuals Ambrose, St. Saint Ambrose (c 338 &ndash 4 April 397) was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the fourth century Athanasius (left); and St. John Chrysostom, and St. This article refers to the Christian saint For other uses of the name see Chrysostomos. Augustine (right).
Celebrated on 22 February in accordance with the calendar of saints, the Feast of Cathedra Petri honors the founding of the church in Rome and gives thanks for the work of Saint Peter. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2
Chair of St. Augustine
The Chair of St. Augustine represents one of the most ancient extant cathedrae in use. The Chair of St Augustine or Cathedra Augustini ( Latin) represents one of the most ancient extant Cathedrae in use Named for the first Archbishop of Canterbury, St. Augustine of Canterbury, it is made of Purbeck Marble or Bethesda marble and dates to sometime between the 6th and 12th centuries. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the Augustine of Canterbury OSB (born c first third of the 6th century - died 26 May 604 was a Benedictine Monk who became the first Archbishop Purbeck Marble is a Fossiliferous Limestone quarried in the Isle of Purbeck, a Peninsula in south-east Dorset, England Bethesda is a Town lying on the River Ogwen and the A5 road on the edge of Snowdonia, in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, Marble is a nonfoliated Metamorphic rock resulting from the Metamorphism of Limestone, composed mostly of Calcite (a crystalline form of Those who argue for an older date suggest that it may have been used to crown the kings of Kent. The Kingdom of Kent was a kingdom of Jutes in southeast England and was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon heptarchy. Canterbury Cathedral, in which the cathedra is housed, maintains that the chair was once part of the furnishings of the shrine of St. Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a Thomas Becket, since dismantled [1]. St Thomas Becket (c 1118 &ndash December 29, 1170) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to 1170 Since antiquity, it has always a place in the triple enthronement of an Archbishop of Canterbury. He is seated on the throne in the quire as Diocesan Bishop, in the chapter house as titular abbot, and in St. A chapter house is a building or room attached to a Cathedral or Collegiate church in which meetings are held The word abbot, meaning Father, is a title given to the head of a Monastery in various traditions including Christianity. Augustine's chair as Primate of All England. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the This is the only occasion in which the cathedra is used. A second one is used for other occasions in which the archbishop is present.
Ex cathedra
The term ex cathedra, meaning "from the throne", is used to designate official pronouncements of the pope when he teaches the whole world. Papal infallibility is the Dogma in Catholic theology that by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and As a throne or armchair symbolizes the power to teach, the cathedra in this case refers to the teaching authority over the whole church rather than to an actual chair. According to Roman Catholic dogma, the pope's statements ex cathedra are infallible. Dogma (the plural is either dogmata or dogmas, Greek, plural) is the established Belief or Papal infallibility is the Dogma in Catholic theology that by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of In Anglican episcopal governance, episcopal teaching is conditioned by synodical governance, and so bishops cannot be said to speak ex cathedra in this way - although they may jocularly be said to do so. A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church convened to decide an issue of doctrine administration or application
Placement
The traditional position of the cathedra was in the apse, behind the high altar, which had been the position of the magistrate in the apse of the Roman basilica which provided the model type—and sometimes the actual structures—for early Christian basilicas. APSE standing for Ada Programming Support Environment is a program or set of programs to support Software development in the Ada programming language. An altar is any structure upon which Sacrifices or other offerings are made for religious purposes or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place The Latin word basilica (derived from Greek, Basiliké Stoà, Royal Stoa) was originally used to describe a Roman In the Middle Ages, as altars came to be placed against the wall of the apse, the practice of placing the cathedra to one side (mostly left) became standard.
Western Churches
In the Roman Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council, the altar is often free-standing and faces the people, so that, according to its advocates, priest and people pray in a mutual dialogue around "the table of the Lord"; in cathedrals built or renovated after the reforms of Vatican II, the cathedra is often placed behind the altar, as in ancient Roman basilicas. The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twentieth century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church.
In Anglican practice, the cathedra tends to be placed to one side in the quire, although in more contemporary practice, it is commonly placed on the gospel side of the chancel (ie. "Chancel" is an architectural term for the space around the Altar at the Liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building , to the left of the altar, as one looks at it from the front).
Eastern Churches
Eastern Orthodox cathedrals will have a throne for the bishop in the apse behind the Holy Table (altar), with seats for the priests arranged to either side of him. An altar is any structure upon which Sacrifices or other offerings are made for religious purposes or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place This location is referred to as the "High Place" and represents the presence of Christ presiding over the services, even when the bishop is not present. High Place, in the English version of the Old Testament, the literal translation of the Hebrew bamot. For this reason, the High Place often has an icon of Christ placed above the bishop's throne. An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. The bishop will only ascend the High Place during the Divine Liturgy, at the Trisagion (at other times, if he sits in the sanctuary, a seat will be prepared for him off to the side). The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. The Trisagion ('Thrice Holy' is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy in most of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Churches and Eastern For this reason, the Consecration of a bishop takes place at the Trisagion, so that he may ascend the High Place for the first time as a bishop during the Liturgy at which he is Consecrated. Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service usually religious
There will be another throne for the bishop in the nave of the church:
- In the Greek practice, this will normally be located along the southern wall of the church, on the kliros. In Romanesque and Gothic Christian Abbey, Cathedral Basilica and church Architecture, the nave is the The Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία Hellēnorthódoxē Ekklēsía) is formed by several autocephalous churches The kliros (Greek κλήρος "klēros" plural κλήροι "klēroi" Slavonic клиросъ "kliros" or sometimes крилосъ "krilos" In this style, it is one of the monastic choir stalls (kathismata), only more elaborately carved, usually at the top of three steps, and with a canopy above it. A Kathisma (Greek καθισμα Slavonic каѳисма kafisma) literally "seat" is a division of the Psalter, used by Eastern Orthodox During the Divine Liturgy, the deacon will ascend this throne to read the Gospel, facing west. The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament
- In the Russian practice, the kafedra is a large square platform set in the very center of the nave, with a removeable chair or faldstool placed on it. See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure Faldstool (from the OH Ger falden or falten, "to fold" and stuol, Mod This arrangement is a remnant of the ancient bemah (Greek: amvon), borrowed from the Jewish synagogue, which stood in the center of the church in ancient times. A bimah (among Ashkenazim derived from Greek) almemar (from Arabic al-minbar) or tebah (among Sephardim is the elevated The Ambon ( Slavonic: amvón) is a projection coming out from the Soleas (the walkway in front of the Iconostasis) in an Eastern Orthodox Sometimes, during the Liturgy, the deacon will stand on this platform, facing east, to read the Gospel.
An orlets, or "eagle rug" will usually be placed at both the High Place and the throne in the nave. An Eagle rug, ( Greek αετός aëtos; Church-Slavonic орлецъ orlets: eagle) is a small Rug, usually round upon The orletz also symbolized the bishop's authority, and he stands on it during services, even if he is not celebrating. An orletz is usually kept permanently on the Russian kafefra, even when the chair is removed.
Although an Hegumen (Abbot) does not have a cathedral, he may have a similar chair, likewise symbolic of his authority, reserved for him on the kliros of his monastery. Hegumen, hegumenos, or ihumen ( Greek: ἡγούμενος; Macedonian, Bulgarian and Russian: игумен The Hegumen's kathisma would be simpler than the one for the bishop, sometimes raised atop two steps, located to the side of the bishop's throne.
See also
- Episcopal see
- List of cathedrals
- List of the bishops of the Church of England in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales
- List of the dioceses of the Church of England
- List of the dioceses of the Church of Ireland
- List of the Episcopal dioceses of the United States
- List of the Roman Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of the Roman Catholic cathedrals of the United States
- List of the Roman Catholic dioceses of the United States
- Chapter
- Pulpit
Sources
External links
- Cathedra Petri in St Peter's Basilica
- Orthodox bishop seated at the High Place
- Russian bishop seated on kathedra
- Greek Bishop on throne in the kliros (Church of the Holy Sepulchre)
- Russian Orthodox Patriarch standing at kafedra in center of Christ the Saviour Cathedral, Moscow
- Russian Patriarch sitting at kafedra
- Russian Patriarch sitting at High Place
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