Reflecting Heaven Notes on the OLMC Sanctuary Renovation Part 15: The Presider’s Chair about? Is this just some high church mumbo jumbo to confound non-Catholics? If one thing should be obvious from the Well, let’s take a look at it from a purely course of our renovation thus far, it’s that the “non-church” perspective for a moment. principal focus of this project is the What does our culture tell us about chairs, sanctuary, the “heaven-meets-earth” area of especially distinctive chairs? Around the the church. A rebuilt, enlarged platform, new dinner table, isn’t there usually “dad’s chair” ceiling treatment, lighting, and contrasting and “mom’s chair,” and wouldn’t it feel odd color and materials will clearly set the for one of the children to commandeer that sanctuary apart from the nave of the church. chair? A CEO “chairs” a meeting, and at that Why? Because, as in all Catholic art and meeting, s/he sits in a particular chair. The architecture, the outward appearance of any implications would be clear if an intern came aspect of liturgy should reflect the heavenly in for the meeting and plopped down in the reality it represents. Thus, the sanctuary, boss’s chair; it would be seen as a breach of from which the word of God is proclaimed protocol, a disrespecting of the CEO’s and where the Holy Eucharist is confected, authority. A professor may hold an honorary, should indeed be the focal point of our endowed chair at a university. In all these worship, where we come to receive Christ cases, it’s not really about the piece of and heed his word. furniture; it’s about authority, isn’t it. So it is with the special chair in which the priest celebrant sits at Mass. This chair is a physical representation of a heavenly reality, in this case the authority of Jesus Christ. The Book of Revelation tells of the Lamb who sits on the heavenly Throne, the ultimate chair of authority. By extension, the aforementioned Over the past few weeks, we’ve examined Feast of the Chair of some of the most important features of the St. Peter highlights sanctuary: the altar, the tabernacle, and the the authority of the ambo. Today we explore an oft- Pope as the successor of St. Peter and Vicar misunderstood piece of furniture that must, of Christ. On rare occasions, the Pope by church law, be present in the sanctuary: defines a Church teaching “ex cathedra,” the presider’s chair. which means “from the chair.” Thus he What’s the big deal about a chair? We throws the entire weight of the Church’s recently celebrated the Feast of the Chair of authority behind that teaching. St. Peter on February 22. What’s that all That authority then passes from the Pope that backwards?” they may say. Well, as to the world’s Bishops, each of whom is a with everything else liturgical, it is essential successor of the Apostles, and each of to research what the Church has to say. whom presides over a cathedral (again, from The authoritative source for this question the Latin is the General Instruction of the Roman cathedra). Missal (GIRM), the “how and why” book of The the Mass. Here’s what the GIRM says: cathedral represents “The chair of the priest celebrant must signify the Bishop’s his office of presiding over the gathering and authority to of directing the prayer. Thus the best place teach, for the chair is in a position facing the govern, and people at the head of the sanctuary, sanctify, unless the design of the building or other and within circumstances impede this” (§310). each So there it is; the optimal place for the Lafayette - St. Mary Cathedral cathedral is Bishop’s Chair a prominent Presider’s Chair is exactly where we have it Episcopal placed in the renovation. chair. Only the Bishop may use this chair; a And what should the chair look like? On priest celebrating Mass in the Cathedral does this question, the Church is unusually not sit there, even if no Bishop of present. In reticent; there is a good deal of flexibility. It our Cathedral in Lafayette, the Episcopal should, as with other liturgical articles, be of Chair sits amongst the artwork of the eleven excellent quality, made of noble materials, Apostles after Judas’s death, witnessing to and of high artistry, but the GIRM also tells the Bishop’s Apostolic role. Again, the chair us that “any appearance of a throne is to be is the seat of authority, not merely a place to avoided” (§310). rest the Episcopal feet. The priest’s So we progress from the Throne of Christ, authority is not through the Chair of St. Peter, to the that of a despot, Episcopal (Bishop’s) Chair, and finally to the but rather chair in a parish church like Our Lady of Mt. steeped in the Carmel. Clearly, this chair continues the self-giving love chain of authority. The parish pastor is the of Christ! Bishop’s local representative, and his chair The image to reflects the authority derived from his office. the right is the The associate pastors, in turn, are designer’s extensions of the pastor’s authority, so they, sketch of our too, may use the presider’s chair. But a new Presider’s layperson would not use the chair, even if chair; it is being built by a firm in Batesville, leading a prayer service. Indiana, so it will be a good, solid, home- Where should the Presider’s Chair be grown Hoosier chair! That solidity will testify located? Some eyebrows have been raised to the role of the priest in the person of when folks have seen the drawings of the Christ, as a representative of his authority, Presider’s Chair at the head of our and even more so, of His love! sanctuary, with the tabernacle slightly off- For more info, see https://adoremus.org/2017/03/11/seat- center, in however worthy a setting. “Isn’t wisdom-role-celebrants-chair-life-church/ Presider’s Chair and Sanctuary Seating .