Many have come across a term such as "throne." Most often, it is associated with royal persons and various kingdoms. However, this is not only a richly decorated chair of the monarch. This term refers to both the Orthodox Church and the city-state of the Vatican. That it is a throne, about its meanings in detail in the article.
Dictionary word
Before you begin studying this term, you need to turn to the explanatory dictionary, which speaks of it as follows.
- The throne of the monarch.
- A special table in the church. Also called the "holy table." It is located in the center of the altar, for the sacrament of the sacrament (Eucharist).
- “Holy See” is the generic name of the Pope and the Vatican.
As you can see, the word under study has different interpretations. The fact that the throne represents itself in high life, many know. Therefore, it will be more interesting to consider in more detail his churchly understanding.
History
As stated earlier, in the church the throne is a special table for the celebration of the Eucharist. In ancient times, such tables were portable and small in size. They were made of stone or wood. Starting from the 4th century, when their location in the temple was finally predetermined, they became more massive and were created exclusively from stone.
They began to be installed in front of the altar in the apse on four legs. Subsequently, instead of four, they began to have one or the legs were absent altogether, and they were replaced with a special stone base. From the 10th century, the thrones began to be installed already inside the altar apse, moving them inland from the center.
In the Middle Age
From the 15th to the 16th century, the throne is a stone monolith or it is made of wood. They covered it with a lid and covered it with cloth. The vestment was a special cover made of expensive fabric (brocade). It could also have the appearance of a case made of silver or gold, with patterns adorned with precious stones.
Even in the early Church, a tradition of placing holy relics under the "thrones" appeared. And from the 8th century, after the 7th Ecumenical Council, the finding of relics became mandatory in order for the temple itself to be consecrated. Crayfish with the remains of the saints were installed in the base of the throne or in a special hole under it.
Symbol
The throne in the temple is also a symbol of the mysterious presence of Christ. Therefore, standing in front of him or touching him is strictly prohibited. Only clergy have the right to do this.
The throne has several symbolic meanings, namely, its four sides are:
- Seasons.
- Cardinal points.
- The periods of the day.
- Tetramorph (the four-faced winged creature from the visions of the prophet Ezekiel).
- The Four Gospels.
- Holy Sepulcher.
Above the throne, a ciborium (special canopy) can be installed, which is a symbol of the sky. He himself is set on the ground on which Jesus was crucified, and in the center of the civorion they place the figure of a dove, which is a symbol of the descent of the Holy Spirit. This is another important symbol.
The Holy See
This is the collective official name of the main administrative organ of the Vatican (Roman Curia), as well as the name of the Pope himself. It is sovereign and has its own territory - the Vatican, which is a city-state.
That is, the term "Holy See" can be understood as the Vatican itself and the Pope. This is a multi-valued term that is both specific and generalized. It all depends on the context in which it is used.
As a city-state, it has had its independence from Italy for more than 14 centuries. It was established by Pope Gregory the Great in 601; moreover, this independence is the oldest in the world.
The Holy See is an elected theocratic monarchy led by the pope. The latter is elected by a panel of cardinals (conclave) for life. It is from here that the expression "accession to the throne" appeared. It means becoming a monarch. In this case, lead the Vatican.
The Pope is the supreme ruler of the Catholic Church throughout the world, the main hierarch and sovereign of the Vatican. These functions are inseparable. The government of the Holy See is a special administration in the Vatican (Roman Curia), which is divided into two departments - general and foreign affairs. They, in turn, are segmented into congregations and commissions.
Now faced with the term studied in life, we can confidently judge what it means in a given situation.