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Religion Title: What does the term “holy see” mean? The term Holy See comes from the Latin Sancta Sedes, meaning “Holy Chair,” and originates from the enthronement ceremony of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. Strictly speaking, the cathedra, i.e. the chair or throne, represents the position and authority of the Holy Father or a bishop, and the place where he resides in the territory of his jurisdiction. Here the Holy See refers to the “seat of government” of the universal Church. Geographically, this seat of government is located in the Diocese of Rome. In terms of actual governance, the Holy See refers specifically to the position of the Holy Father, who “by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, namely, and as pastor of the entire Church, has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered” (Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, #22), and by extension the Curia, which consists of the Secretariat of State, the Council for Public Affairs of the Church, the Sacred Congregations, tribunals, and other institutions and offices (Code of Canon Law, #360). The Holy See is also interchangeable with the term “Apostolic See.” The Code of Canon Law provides the following definition: “…The term ‘Apostolic See’ or ‘Holy See’ applies not only to the Roman Pontiff but also to the Secretariat of State, the Council for the Public Affairs of the Church, and other institutions of the Roman Curia, unless the nature of the matter or the context of the words makes the contrary evident” (#361). The term “see,” from the Latin “sedes,” is actually the technical term for all dioceses and the places of residence for their bishops. For example, Bishop Loverde is the Bishop of the “See of Arlington” and his cathedral of residence is the Cathedral of St. Thomas More, also in Arlington; the cathedral also houses the bishop’s cathedra or throne. Originally, sedes designated the Churches founded by the Apostles, and later limited particularly to the five great patriarchal sees: Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Constantinople; interestingly, to this day, these latter four patriarchs follow the Holy Father in honor. This understanding and ordering is reflected in the pronouncement of the Popes: For example, Pope Gelasius I (492-496) declared, “Est ergo prima Petri apostoli sedes” (i.e. “Therefore, the first is the seat of the Apostle Peter”). In the Liber Pontificalis of Pope Leo III (795-816), the following prescript is recorded: “Nos sedem apostolicam, quae est caput omnium Dei ecclesiarum judicare non audemus” (“We dare not judge the Apostolic See, which is the head of all the Churches of God”). Clearly, the terms “Holy See” and “Apostolic See” evolved to refer specifically to the authority of the Holy Father and Rome. Interestingly, each February 22, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. To celebrate the feast of a “chair” at first hearing, sounds strange. However, “the chair” refers to the primacy and authority our Lord entrusted to St. Peter, which together are a unifying strength for the whole Church; so, really the “Holy See” is what is celebrated and honored. This primacy and authority are symbolized by the monument of the chair of St. Peter located against the wall of the apse behind the main altar in St. Peter’s basilica sculpted in bronze by the artist Bernini; the sculpture is a reliquary for what is traditionally believed to have been the original chair or cathedra of St. Peter. Again, what is of importance is not so much the actual chair, but what that chair symbolizes– the Holy See. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 3.
#3. To: A K A Stone (#0)
I would take some issue with the self-serving Romanism in this article. I suggest you read about the five major ancient sees, co-equal but with the bishop of Rome considered the first among equals, a tiebreaker, the person who spoke for the Church in matters of state involving the emperor in Rome as the secular head of state, etc. Wiki: Pentarchy. Try reading that historical sketch and then ask if this article does even the slightest justice to the history involved. Of course, this has been a constant source of complaints from the Orthodox and other non-Roman churches in their sphere. They don't resent the pope as first among equals and the arbiter of doctrine and the ruler of the Vatican; they resent him pretending they don't exist and that the role of the other sees is completely ignored by Rome. And this papal supremacy is especially hard to swallow coming from Pope Frank the Hippie Pope with his stylish Che Guevara crucifix.
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