I wonder how many of those who assisted at the so-called “Traditional Latin Mass” on the Feast of Christ the King this past Sunday were treated to the sort of sermon that one might expect to hear at a typical Novus Ordo.
In other words, was there anything preached from the pulpit that day that would have been the least bit unsettling to a Constitution loving, flag waving, protestant?
If not, it should have.
My suspicion is that many of those who attended a diocesan Mass on Sunday were treated to preaching based almost exclusively on one or more of three main themes:
“The Kingdom of Christ is spiritual,” Our Lord reigns over souls, and it is up to us to promote as best we can the sovereignty of Christ in our lives, in our families, in our workplaces, and in the broader society, e.g., in the way that we vote.
That, however, is just half of the story. It’s the part of the story that’s easy to tell and comfortable to hear; it’s a message that just as easily could have been delivered by Billy Graham or some other heretical “Bible Christian.”
While it is true that Pope Pius XI – in his magnificent Encyclical, Quas Primas, whereby the Feast of Christ the King was established – did in fact teach that “this Kingdom is spiritual and is concerned with spiritual things” (Quas Primas 15), he went further.
The Holy Father immediately went on to caution:
It would be a grave error, on the other hand, to say that Christ has no authority whatever in civil affairs, since, by virtue of the absolute empire over all creatures committed to Him by the Father, all things are in his power. (ibid. no. 17)
I think it’s fair to say that this is precisely the grave error that is plaguing the entire earth at this very moment, it’s one of those errors that most cries out for correction in our day, and the reason this is the case is rather obvious:
The voice of the one true Church of Christ is being all but drowned out by the lies and half-truths that spew forth from the counterfeit church headquartered in Rome.
For more than half-a-century now, wicked and faithless men like Jorge Bergoglio and a whole host of hirelings posing as Catholic shepherds, along with countless priests, have utterly failed to even hint at the fullness of Our Lord’s Kingship.
In fact, all indications are that many of them do not genuinely believe in the Kingship of Christ in all of its glorious aspects. As such, they refuse to mention, much less insist upon, His Sovereign Rights in this world. They speak only of His Kingdom – if they speak of it at all – as if it pertains exclusively to spiritual things in the heavenly realm, to the practical exclusion of matters temporal right here on earth.
At this, for those interested, let’s briefly touch on the rest of the story.
The empire of our Redeemer embraces all men. It includes not only Catholic nations, not only baptized persons, but also all those who are outside the Christian faith; so that truly the whole of mankind is subject to the power of Jesus Christ. Nor is there any difference in this matter between the individual and the family or the State; for all men, whether collectively or individually, are under the dominion of Christ. (cf Quas Primas 18).
Get that? Everything and everyone, Catholic or not, is subject to the power of Christ the King. This means that the Jews, the Muslims, and every other practitioner of every other false religion on earth owes obedience to the rule of Christ the King.
When is the last time you heard a priest, a bishop, or a putative pope declare this truth?
Never mind preaching it to the choir from the pulpit, a rarity in itself, have you ever heard a Catholic cleric proclaim this truth in a public venue? I’d venture to say probably not.
As a matter of perspective concerning the Jews, Muslims, and heathens, we should take a moment to consider the words of St. Paul:
How shall they believe Him, of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear, without a preacher? (Romans 10:14)
Sure, you and I have an obligation to speak the truth about Our Lord’s Kingship and the duty of all toward Him within our own particular spheres of influence. St. Paul continued, however, by saying:
And how shall they preach unless they be sent… (Romans 10:15)
We have a name for those who have been sent on the mission to baptize and to teach the nations, they are called Apostles; their Successors, Bishops, and their assistants in ministry, Priests.
Woe to those who dare not preach everything whatsoever that Christ the King commanded, including the fullness of His Kingly authority!
The empire of Christ includes not only Catholic nations.
Does this mean that Americans who go to the polls less than two weeks after the Feast of Christ the King are called to exercise their right to vote in such a way as to best promote His Sovereignty over our nation?
Certainly, but that’s not why the Holy Father, Pius XI, chose the last Sunday in October as the date for the Feast. He writes:
The last Sunday of the month of October – the Sunday, that is, which immediately precedes the Feast of All Saints seemed the most convenient of all for this purpose, because it is at the end of the liturgical year, and thus the feast of the Kingship of Christ sets the crowning glory upon the mysteries of the life of Christ already commemorated during the year, and, before celebrating the triumph of all the Saints, we proclaim and extol the glory of Him who triumphs in all the Saints and in all the Elect. (cf Quas Primas 28, 29)
The Feast of Christ the Kings sets the crowning glory of His entire life! The Holy Father could hardly have expressed himself more clearly in declaring the central place that the doctrine concerning the Kingship of Christ should occupy in our lives and, indeed, in the life of the entire world.
This, of course, includes allowing Christ to “reign in our will” (cf Quas Primas 7) as individuals when we do such things as vote for our civil leaders, but there is a more direct way by which the message of Christ’s Kingship is to be delivered to the civil authorities.
Note very well that Quas Primas, the Encyclical from which we have been quoting, is addressed not to the laity, but rather very specifically to the “Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, and other Ordinaries in Peace and Communion with the Apostolic See.” These are the men who have been sacramentally ordained, consecrated, and sent to preach (cf Romans 10:15).
And just what is it, according to Pius XI, that they are exhorted to preach regarding the Kingship of Christ to those who rule, e.g., Presidents, Prime Ministers, Senators, Governors, etc.?
- Princes and magistrates and all duly elected officials rule, not by their own right, but by the mandate and in the place of the Divine King.
- As such, the rulers of nations – all of them, Catholic and otherwise – have a public duty of reverence and obedience to the rule of Christ.
- If these rulers wish to preserve their authority, to promote and increase the prosperity of their countries, they will not neglect their duty toward the King of kings.
- Rulers and princes are bound to give public honor and obedience to Christ, not merely as private individuals but as rulers and princes.
- The Kingly Dignity of Christ demands that the State should take account of the commandments of God and of Christian principles, both in making laws and in administering justice.
And what about those dreadful times, like ours, wherein the State suppresses “the beloved name of our Redeemer, with all mention of it in their conferences and parliaments” practically forbidden? (cf Quas Primas 25)
The Holy Father – again, speaking directly to the bishops of the world – exhorts:
We must all the more loudly proclaim His kingly dignity and power, all the more universally affirm His rights. (ibid.)
By all means, join me in shouting these truths from the rooftops, but let us be perfectly clear that the duty of holding the State and its rulers accountable to Christ the King belongs to the Roman Pontiff, the Bishops in union with him, and priests as their helpers in ministry. It is by them, through them, and from them through which the voice of Christ the King is proclaimed authoritatively in this world.
And make no mistake, the Kingdom of Christ, though spiritual and concerned with spiritual things, is most certainly in this world. It is a “visible Society founded by Him, consecrated in His blood, to lead man back to things invisible under a visible rule” (cf Pope Pius XII, Mystici Corporis 64).
In short, “the Kingdom of Christ on earth is the Holy Roman Catholic Church,” and though she is presently eclipsed in large measure by the conciliar imposter, she is “destined to be spread among all men and all nations” (cf Quas Primas 12).
These magnificent truths of Our Lord’s Kingship, my friends, are verboten in today’s world, even in many nominally Catholic parishes. They have been deemed distasteful, unecumenical, and overly triumphalistic by the weak and spineless men who populate the halls of power in the counterfeit church. Shame on them.
Even so, let us never fear to speak openly of mankind’s duty toward Christ the King, and to let it be known that “when once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony” (Quas Primas 19).
After all, this is good news, for Christ the King is the most benevolent of Kings, the same who willingly went to the Cross for His beloved subjects.
Vivat Christus Rex!
