Day Five

By Fr. Paul Mankowski, S.J. ( articles ) | May 03, 2003

From Thomas Day, Where Have You Gone, Michelangelo? (Crossroad, 1993):

In his cathedral, the bishop sat on an ornate throne that symbolized his authority in the diocese, but here again there were checks and balances. That episcopal chair (cathedra in Greek) was on the side, not at the center; the position on the side suggested deference and lesser importance. From the moment that bishop entered his cathedral for a Latin liturgy until the end, the rubrics denied him all authority; he was as checked and restricted as any parish priest.