On Saturday, 21 February, the local Catholic Christian community of Tiberias gathered together with the Custos of the Holy Land and several friars to celebrate the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle.

The word "chair" refers to the seat of the Holy Father and of the bishops, that is, the fixed seat placed in the mother church of a diocese, hence "cathedral". The "chair" is also a symbol of the authority of the Pope and of the evangelical teaching that he, as successor of the apostles, is called to guard and transmit to the Christian community. This is the meaning of the celebration of the Chair of Saint Peter, to celebrate the mission entrusted by Jesus to Peter.

For the occasion Fr. Francesco Ielpo, Custos of the Holy Land, presided over the Eucharist and shared lunch with the local community. The Mass was celebrated at the Church of Saint Peter the Apostle, a Franciscan shrine entrusted to the members of the Koinonia of Saint John the Baptist community. The church stands on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias, also known as the Sea of Galilee, near where Simon lived and worked as a fisherman when he was called by Jesus to become "a fisher of men" and was given the name Peter.

In his homily, the Custos recalled how God has given the Church a guide, the Pope, so that he may safeguard the faith, communion, and unity of Catholics throughout the world. Moreover, Fr. Ielpo recalled that the Holy Father has the task of representing a bulwark of stability and peace. The Custos therefore asked the faithful to offer a special prayer for Pope Leo XIV, that he may fully carry out the great task entrusted to him, even in these times of great polarization and confusion.