Greatest Forgery in History | Chair of Saint Peter

Facts about forgery

Date Created	748 CE	Place Created	St. Denis Abbey, Paris
Perpetrator(s)	Commissioned by Pepin the Short and Carloman.
Original Purpose	To support the (false) claim that the office of Vicarius Christi had existed in Rome since the time of St. Peter as claimed in the other forgeries. Secondly, as a literal seat of power superior to the seat of the Primate Patriarch of Constantinople. Therefore the authority of the Primate is less than the "Vicar of Christ" in Rome.

The forgery known as the "Chair of St. Peter"-- the "Throne of St. Peter" and Cathedra Petri was commissioned by Pepin the Short no earlier than 748 CE in anticipation of his coronation and proof of the legitimacy of the Pippin claims in creating the Catholic Church.

When the chair was created at St. Denis, so was the legal concept of the chair literally representing the legitimate sedes or "seat" of power of the Vicarius Christi. This was in direct confrontation to the legal position of the Primate and Patriarch of Constantinople claiming to be the sedes or "seat" of Christianity.

The Pippin plan in creating the Catholic Church legal framework was straightforward -- once the Vicarius Christi was upon the sedes (later "see") of Cathedra Petri, then whatever he said would be superior to anything claimed by Constantinople- the excommunication against the Pippins could be lifted, they could be crowned legitimate christian kings.

The legal fiction known as Ex Cathedra (literally meaning "from the chair... of St. Peter") implying infallibility was not an original intention when creating the forgery. Instead, the heretical concept of infallibility did not appear until much later centuries.

The forgery did not go to Rome but remained at the Mother Church for the Catholic Church at St. Denis where it was used as the coronation chair for Pepin the Short in 751.

The chair was almost certainly brought by Pepin on his conquest of Italy from 752 --providing it as a gift for the coronation of Vicarius Christi Paul in 757 -- the first time in history a "Pope" had ever sat on a seat carrying this title.

The "many" Chairs of St. Peter

Over the centuries, many chair of St. Peter has been variously stolen, vandalized beyond repair, burnt and lost. However, like the false claims of apostolic succession contained in the masterwork forgery known as Liber Pontificalis, the chair of St. Peter claims an unbroken succession of Popes having physically sat on its seat.

Both legally and technically, if the chair of St. Peter was to be destroyed without the Catholic Church able to find a quick replacement to hide the fact, then the primary legitimate legal power of the Holy See- claimed to emanate from this sacred "relic" would immediately cease -- so too any further statements that are Ex Cathedra. No Chair = No power from the chair.

The most recent chair which is enshrined by the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini into the High Altar of St. Peters is claimed to be from the 8th century -- therefore the claimed original. However, it is more likely to be a 17th century fake.

In spite of the Catholic Church openly admitting that the Chair of St. Peter is an outright fraud, the fraud remains on public display as arguably one of the most revered church relics.


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