The Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle

The reform of the Roman calendar in 1960 kept only one of the two feast days of the prince of the apostles. Today’s feast is the original celebration of the Roman chair, which in the Gauls was moved to January 18th so it wouldn’t be interrupted by Lent. As a result, from the eighth century, the February 22nd feast day acquired a new theme: the Chair of Antioch, which Peter would have occupied in this eastern city, while the Roman chair specifically became the focus on January 18th. However, today’s date follows a very old tradition, already mentioned by the Depositio Martyrum. It’s difficult to explain the original meaning of the feast.