What Is a Pope Chair?

Pope Chair History

• Pick up any book devoted to the history of the Catholic Church, and you're bound to find drawings, descriptions and details about the lavish chairs popes have occupied -- both in and out of Vatican City. Like those of kings and emperors, pope chairs were designed to inspire thoughts of heaven, so they were often elevated on platforms to inspire the faithful. Designs reflect culture and style: The earliest pope chairs were made primarily of carved woods, but over time, upholstery, gilt and lavish trim were added.

Pope Chair Makers

• When the prelate arrives on foreign soil to make appearances before crowds of the faithful, a pope chair has already been placed at all of the locations on the itinerary. Some nations have received so many visits from popes over time, a chairmaker to the pope emerges. In the Philippines, the furniture-making Adriano family lays claim to the honor. The studio, established in 1911, boasts three generations of Adrianos who, in addition to designing chairs for the country's cathedrals, have also been the exclusive pope chair maker for visits by Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

Pope Chair Designs

• You won't find a book in print that explains how to make a pope chair, because there's nothing ordinary about this piece of furniture. That stated, every pope chair should reflect the pope's status as the leader of the Catholic church. A pope chair should be stately, bear his coat of arms and be unique. Drawing the line at ostentation and over-the-top sizing, these chairs must still look imposing, which is why you'll find that these designs are usually at least 5 feet high. One pope chair, made by teachers at the Cardinal Newman School in Coventry UK, was a masterpiece of white ash, rising 8 feet and fitted with stained glass panels.

What Happens After the Pope Vacates the Chair?

• Unless a chair is to replace the previous one designed for visiting prelates, chairs designed and crafted for papal visits are usually donated. For example, two Tony Adrianos-manufactured pope chairs, built for John Paul II's Manila visits, wound up being shipped to the Vatican Museum and the University of Santo Tomas. Artisans at Pennsylvania's St. Jude Liturgical Arts Studio prepared for a visit from Benedict XVI by making a pope chair of American walnut with raised, hand-carved crosses and a papal crest. After Benedict's appearance at the National Shrine of the Basilica in Washington D.C., the pope chair was put on display there, where it remains today.