What a shame that altar was torn out. The Altar of Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica.
I was there that morning and saw them doing it. They hadn’t gotten the crime finished before we priests were about to say our morning Masses. The basilica personnel tried to shoo us away.
Mass at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome (celebrated by Cardinal Eugène Tisserant); elevation of the host (source of the video: https://t.co/3nX55rmuNL): pic.twitter.com/QsRU9IFpTU
— P. D’Angona, Sacerdos Romano-Catholicus (@RomanoSace57080) October 7, 2025
Having the altar THERE was a theological statement. Although, having the hideous Paul VI altar disconnected and freestanding is also a theological choice, isn’t it. For a while there was a better Cranmer version. Now the hideous Paul VI is back.
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The logical outcome of opposition to the TLM—make it impossible or difficult to say the TLM in the main areas of the basilica.
I am trying to give our Pope the benefit of the doubt as he is just starting out, but unfortunately, I am starting to have this image of Nero fiddling while Rome burns. I guess I need to cultivate patience while I put my trust in Our Lord when it comes to the current situation in the Church.
Father, could you explain or give a link to an explanation of what the significance of the Altar of Chair is? I have never been to Rome, much less to St Peter’s, so all I know is that an altar has been removed (which seems to me not a good idea).
Sincerely
ProfessorCover, as I remember, the Altar of the Chair was the traditional altar set against the Bernini’s Chair of St. Peter work in the apse of the basilica. The Bernini work encases the relic of a wooden chair used by St. Peter; it also contains the Holy Spirit window. This work was created during the Protestant Revolt to emphasize the authority and position of the Pope within the Church as given to St. Peter by Christ. N.B. There is a detached “table” altar that was set up in the 1970’s for the N.O. Mass.