As today is the traditional
Feast of Christ the King (as it is the last Sunday of October), I present the encyclical
Quas Primas of His Holiness Pope XI. There is no more appropriate reflection for the Feast of Christ the King than this encyclical.
QUAS PRIMAS
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS Xl DECEMBER 11, 1925
To Our Venerable Brethren the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops, and
other Ordinaries in Peace and Communion with the Apostolic See.
Venerable Brethren, Greeting and the Apostolic Benediction.
In the first Encyclical Letter which We addressed at the beginning of Our
Pontificate to the Bishops of the universal Church, We referred to the chief
causes of the difficulties under which mankind was laboring. And We remember
saying that these manifold evils in the world were due to the fact that the
majority of men had thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives;
that these had no place either in private affairs or in politics: and we said
further, that as long as individuals and states refused to submit to the rule of
our Savior, there would be no really hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among
nations.
Men must look for the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ; and
that We promised to do as far as lay in Our power. In the Kingdom of Christ,
that is, it seemed to Us that peace could not be more effectually restored nor
fixed upon a firmer basis than through the restoration of the Empire of Our
Lord. We were led in the meantime to indulge the hope of a brighter future at
the sight of a more widespread and keener interest evinced in Christ and his
Church, the one Source of Salvation, a sign that men who had formerly spurned
the rule of our Redeemer and had exiled themselves from his kingdom were
preparing, and even hastening, to return to the duty of obedience.
2. The many notable and memorable events which have occurred during this Holy
Year have given great honor and glory to Our Lord and King, the Founder of the
Church.
3. At the Missionary Exhibition men have been deeply impressed in seeing the
increasing zeal of the Church for the spread of the kingdom of her Spouse to the
most far distant regions of the earth. They have seen how many countries have
been won to the Catholic name through the unremitting labor and self-sacrifice
of missionaries, and the vastness of the regions which have yet to be subjected
to the sweet and saving yoke of our King. All those who in the course of the
Holy Year have thronged to this city under the leadership of their Bishops or
priests had but one aim -- namely, to expiate their sins -- and at the tombs of
the Apostles and in Our Presence to promise loyalty to the rule of Christ.
4. A still further light of glory was shed upon his kingdom, when after due
proof of their heroic virtue, We raised to the honors of the altar six
confessors and virgins. It was a great joy, a great consolation, that filled Our
heart when in the majestic basilica of St. Peter Our decree was acclaimed by an
immense multitude with the hymn of thanksgiving, Tu Rex gloriae Christe. We saw
men and nations cut off from God, stirring up strife and discord and hurrying
along the road to ruin and death, while the Church of God carries on her work of
providing food for the spiritual life of men, nurturing and fostering generation
after generation of men and women dedicated to Christ, faithful and subject to
him in his earthly kingdom, called by him to eternal bliss in the kingdom of
heaven.
5. Moreover, since this jubilee Year marks the sixteenth centenary of the
Council of Nicaea, We commanded that event to be celebrated, and We have done so
in the Vatican basilica.
There is a special reason for this in that the Nicene
Synod defined and proposed for Catholic belief the dogma of the
Consubstantiality of the Onlybegotten with the Father, and added to the Creed
the words "of whose kingdom there shall be no end," thereby affirming the kingly
dignity of Christ.
6. Since this Holy Year therefore has provided more than one opportunity to
enhance the glory of the kingdom of Christ, we deem it in keeping with our
Apostolic office to accede to the desire of many of the Cardinals, Bishops, and
faithful, made known to Us both individually and collectively, by closing this
Holy Year with the insertion into the Sacred Liturgy of a special feast of the
Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This matter is so dear to Our heart,
Venerable Brethren, that I would wish to address to you a few words concerning
it. It will be for you later to explain in a manner suited to the understanding
of the faithful what We are about to say concerning the Kingship of Christ, so
that the annual feast which We shall decree may be attended with much fruit and
produce beneficial results in the future.
7.
It has long been a common custom to give to Christ the metaphorical title
of "King," because of the high degree of perfection whereby he excels all
creatures. So he is said to reign "in the hearts of men," both by reason of the
keenness of his intellect and the extent of his knowledge, and also because he
is very truth, and it is from him that truth must be obediently received by all
mankind. He reigns, too, in the wills of men, for in him the human will was
perfectly and entirely obedient to the Holy Will of God, and further by his
grace and inspiration he so subjects our free-will as to incite us to the most
noble endeavors.
He is King of hearts, too, by reason of his "charity which
exceedeth all knowledge." And his mercy and kindness[1] which draw all men to
him, for never has it been known, nor will it ever be, that man be loved so much
and so universally as Jesus Christ. But if we ponder this matter more deeply, we
cannot but see that the title and the power of King belongs to Christ as man in
the strict and proper sense too. For it is only as man that he may be said to
have received from the Father "power and glory and a kingdom,"[2] since the Word
of God, as consubstantial with the Father, has all things in common with him,
and therefore has necessarily supreme and absolute dominion over all things
created.
8.
Do we not read throughout the Scriptures that Christ is the King? He it is
that shall come out of Jacob to rule,[3] who has been set by the Father as king
over Sion, his holy mount, and shall have the Gentiles for his inheritance, and
the utmost parts of the earth for his possession.[4] In the nuptial hymn, where
the future King of Israel is hailed as a most rich and powerful monarch, we
read: "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the scepter of thy kingdom is a
scepter of righteousness."[5] There are many similar passages, but there is one
in which Christ is even more clearly indicated. Here it is foretold that his
kingdom will have no limits, and will be enriched with justice and peace: "in
his days shall justice spring up, and abundance of peace...And he shall rule
from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth."[6]
9. The testimony of the Prophets is even more abundant. That of Isaias is
well known: "For a child is born to us and a son is given to us, and the
government is upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, God the mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace.
His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace. He shall sit
upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom; to establish it and strengthen it
with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever."[7] With Isaias
the other Prophets are in agreement. So Jeremias foretells the "just seed" that
shall rest from the house of David -- the Son of David that shall reign as king,
"and shall be wise, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth."[8] So,
too, Daniel, who announces the kingdom that the God of heaven shall found, "that
shall never be destroyed, and shall stand for ever."[9] And again he says: "I
beheld, therefore, in the vision of the night, and, lo! one like the son of man
came with the clouds of heaven. And he came even to the Ancient of days: and
they presented him before him. And he gave him power and glory and a kingdom:
and all peoples, tribes, and tongues shall serve him. His power is an
everlasting power that shall not be taken away, and his kingdom shall not be
destroyed."[10] The prophecy of Zachary concerning the merciful King "riding
upon an ass and upon a colt the foal of an ass" entering Jerusalem as "the just
and savior," amid the acclamations of the multitude,[11] was recognized as
fulfilled by the holy evangelists themselves.
10. This same doctrine of the Kingship of Christ which we have found in the
Old Testament is even more clearly taught and confirmed in the New.
The
Archangel, announcing to the Virgin that she should bear a Son, says that "the
Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father, and he shall reign
in the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."[12]
11. Moreover, Christ himself speaks of his own kingly authority: in his last
discourse, speaking of the rewards and punishments that will be the eternal lot
of the just and the damned; in his reply to the Roman magistrate, who asked him
publicly whether he were a king or not; after his resurrection, when giving to
his Apostles the mission of teaching and baptizing all nations,
he took the
opportunity to call himself king,[13] confirming the title publicly,[14] and
solemnly proclaimed that all power was given him in heaven and on earth.[15]
These words can only be taken to indicate the greatness of his power, the
infinite extent of his kingdom. What wonder, then, that he whom St. John calls
the "prince of the kings of the earth"[16] appears in the Apostle's vision of
the future as he who "hath on his garment and on his thigh written 'King of
kings and Lord of lords!'."[17]
It is Christ whom the Father "hath appointed
heir of all things";[18] "for he must reign until at the end of the world he
hath put all his enemies under the feet of God and the Father."[19]
12. It was surely right, then, in view of the common teaching of the sacred
books, that the Catholic Church, which is the kingdom of Christ on earth,
destined to be spread among all men and all nations, should with every token of
veneration salute her Author and Founder in her annual liturgy as King and Lord,
and as King of Kings. And, in fact, she used these titles, giving expression
with wonderful variety of language to one and the same concept, both in ancient
psalmody and in the Sacramentaries. She uses them daily now in the prayers
publicly offered to God, and in offering the Immaculate Victim. The perfect
harmony of the Eastern liturgies with our own in this continual praise of Christ
the King shows once more the truth of the axiom: Legem credendi lex statuit
supplicandi. The rule of faith is indicated by the law of our worship.
13. The foundation of this power and dignity of Our Lord is rightly indicated
by Cyril of Alexandria.
"Christ," he says, "has dominion over all creatures, a
dominion not seized by violence nor usurped, but his by essence and by
nature."[20] His kingship is founded upon the ineffable hypostatic union. From
this it follows not only that Christ is to be adored by angels and men, but that
to him as man angels and men are subject, and must recognize his empire; by
reason of the hypostatic union Christ has power over all creatures. But a
thought that must give us even greater joy and consolation is this that Christ
is our King by acquired, as well as by natural right, for he is our Redeemer.
Would that they who forget what they have cost their Savior might recall the
words: "You were not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled."[21] We are no longer our
own property, for Christ has purchased us "with a great price";[22] our very
bodies are the "members of Christ."[23]
14. Let Us explain briefly the nature and meaning of this lordship of Christ.
It consists, We need scarcely say, in a threefold power which is essential to
lordship. This is sufficiently clear from the scriptural testimony already
adduced concerning the universal dominion of our Redeemer, and moreover it is a
dogma of faith that Jesus Christ was given to man, not only as our Redeemer, but
also as a law-giver, to whom obedience is due.[24] Not only do the gospels tell
us that he made laws, but they present him to us in the act of making them.
Those who keep them show their love for their Divine Master, and he promises
that they shall remain in his love.[25] He claimed judicial power as received
from his Father, when the Jews accused him of breaking the Sabbath by the
miraculous cure of a sick man. "For neither doth the Father judge any man; but
hath given all judgment to the Son."[26] In this power is included the right of
rewarding and punishing all men living, for this right is inseparable from that
of judging. Executive power, too, belongs to Christ, for all must obey his
commands; none may escape them, nor the sanctions he has imposed.
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15. This kingdom is spiritual and is concerned with spiritual things. That
this is so the above quotations from Scripture amply prove, and Christ by his
own action confirms it. On many occasions, when the Jews and even the Apostles
wrongly supposed that the Messiah would restore the liberties and the kingdom of
Israel, he repelled and denied such a suggestion. When the populace thronged
around him in admiration and would have acclaimed him King, he shrank from the
honor and sought safety in flight. Before the Roman magistrate he declared that
his kingdom was not of this world. The gospels present this kingdom as one which
men prepare to enter by penance, and cannot actually enter except by faith and
by baptism, which, though an external rite, signifies and produces an interior
regeneration. This kingdom is opposed to none other than to that of Satan and to
the power of darkness. It demands of its subjects a spirit of detachment from
riches and earthly things, and a spirit of gentleness. They must hunger and
thirst after justice, and more than this, they must deny themselves and carry
the cross.
16.
Christ as our Redeemer purchased the Church at the price of his own
blood; as priest he offered himself, and continues to offer himself as a victim
for our sins. Is it not evident, then, that his kingly dignity partakes in a
manner of both these offices?
17. 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.
Nevertheless, during his life on earth he refrained from the exercise of such
authority, and although he himself disdained to possess or to care for earthly
goods, he did not, nor does he today, interfere with those who possess them. Non
eripit mortalia qui regna dat caelestia.[27]
18. Thus the empire of our Redeemer embraces all men. To use the words of Our
immortal predecessor, Pope Leo XIII:
"His empire includes not only Catholic
nations, not only baptized persons who, though of right belonging to the Church,
have been led astray by error, or have been cut off from her by schism, 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."[28] 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. In him is the salvation of the individual, in him is the salvation of
society. "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name
under heaven given to men whereby we must be saved."[29] He is the author of
happiness and true prosperity for every man and for every nation. "For a nation
is happy when its citizens are happy. What else is a nation but a number of men
living in concord?"[30]
If, therefore, the rulers of nations wish to preserve
their authority, to promote and increase the prosperity of their countries, they
will not neglect the public duty of reverence and obedience to the rule of
Christ. What We said at the beginning of Our Pontificate concerning the decline
of public authority, and the lack of respect for the same, is equally true at
the present day. "With God and Jesus Christ," we said, "excluded from political
life, with authority derived not from God but from man, the very basis of that
authority has been taken away, because the chief reason of the distinction
between ruler and subject has been eliminated. The result is that human society
is tottering to its fall, because it has no longer a secure and solid
foundation."[31]
19.
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. Our Lord's regal office invests the
human authority of princes and rulers with a religious significance; it ennobles
the citizen's duty of obedience. It is for this reason that St. Paul, while
bidding wives revere Christ in their husbands, and slaves respect Christ in
their masters, warns them to give obedience to them not as men, but as the
vicegerents of Christ; for it is not meet that men redeemed by Christ should
serve their fellow-men. "You are bought with a price; be not made the
bond-slaves of men."[32]
If princes and magistrates duly elected are filled with
the persuasion that they rule, not by their own right, but by the mandate and in
the place of the Divine King, they will exercise their authority piously and
wisely, and they will make laws and administer them, having in view the common
good and also the human dignity of their subjects. The result will be a stable
peace and tranquillity, for there will be no longer any cause of discontent. Men
will see in their king or in their rulers men like themselves, perhaps unworthy
or open to criticism, but they will not on that account refuse obedience if they
see reflected in them the authority of Christ God and Man. Peace and harmony,
too, will result; for with the spread and the universal extent of the kingdom of
Christ men will become more and more conscious of the link that binds them
together, and thus many conflicts will be either prevented entirely or at least
their bitterness will be diminished.
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20. If the kingdom of Christ, then, receives, as it should, all nations under
its way, there seems no reason why we should despair of seeing that peace which
the King of Peace came to bring on earth -- he who came to reconcile all things,
who came not to be ministered unto but to minister, who, though Lord of all,
gave himself to us as a model of humility, and with his principal law united the
precept of charity; who said also: "My yoke is sweet and my burden light." Oh,
what happiness would be Ours if all men, individuals, families, and nations,
would but let themselves be governed by Christ! "Then at length," to use the
words addressed by our predecessor, Pope Leo XIII, twenty-five years ago to the
bishops of the Universal Church,
"then at length will many evils be cured; then
will the law regain its former authority; peace with all its blessings be
restored. Men will sheathe their swords and lay down their arms when all freely
acknowledge and obey the authority of Christ, and every tongue confesses that
the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father."[33]
21. That these blessings may be abundant and lasting in Christian society, it
is necessary that the kingship of our Savior should be as widely as possible
recognized and understood, and to the end nothing would serve better than the
institution of a special feast in honor of the Kingship of Christ. For people
are instructed in the truths of faith, and brought to appreciate the inner joys
of religion far more effectually by the annual celebration of our sacred
mysteries than by any official pronouncement of the teaching of the Church. Such
pronouncements usually reach only a few and the more learned among the faithful;
feasts reach them all; the former speak but once, the latter speak every year --
in fact, forever. The church's teaching affects the mind primarily; her feasts
affect both mind and heart, and have a salutary effect upon the whole of man's
nature. Man is composed of body and soul, and he needs these external
festivities so that the sacred rites, in all their beauty and variety, may
stimulate him to drink more deeply of the fountain of God's teaching, that he
may make it a part of himself, and use it with profit for his spiritual life.
22. History, in fact, tells us that in the course of ages these festivals
have been instituted one after another according as the needs or the advantage
of the people of Christ seemed to demand: as when they needed strength to face a
common danger, when they were attacked by insidious heresies, when they needed
to be urged to the pious consideration of some mystery of faith or of some
divine blessing. Thus in the earliest days of the Christian era, when the people
of Christ were suffering cruel persecution, the cult of the martyrs was begun in
order, says St. Augustine, "that the feasts of the martyrs might incite men to
martyrdom."[34] The liturgical honors paid to confessors, virgins and widows
produced wonderful results in an increased zest for virtue, necessary even in
times of peace. But more fruitful still were the feasts instituted in honor of
the Blessed Virgin. As a result of these men grew not only in their devotion to
the Mother of God as an ever-present advocate, but also in their love of her as
a mother bequeathed to them by their Redeemer.
Not least among the blessings
which have resulted from the public and legitimate honor paid to the Blessed
Virgin and the saints is the perfect and perpetual immunity of the Church from
error and heresy. We may well admire in this the admirable wisdom of the
Providence of God, who, ever bringing good out of evil, has from time to time
suffered the faith and piety of men to grow weak, and allowed Catholic truth to
be attacked by false doctrines, but always with the result that truth has
afterwards shone out with greater splendor, and that men's faith, aroused from
its lethargy, has shown itself more vigorous than before.
23. The festivals that have been introduced into the liturgy in more recent
years have had a similar origin, and have been attended with similar results.
When reverence and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament had grown cold, the feast
of Corpus Christi was instituted, so that by means of solemn processions and
prayer of eight days' duration, men might be brought once more to render public
homage to Christ. So, too, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was instituted
at a time when men were oppressed by the sad and gloomy severity of Jansenism,
which had made their hearts grow cold, and shut them out from the love of God
and the hope of salvation.
24. If We ordain that the whole Catholic world shall revere Christ as King,
We shall minister to the need of the present day, and at the same time provide
an excellent remedy for the plague which now infects society. We refer to the
plague of anti-clericalism, its errors and impious activities. This evil spirit,
as you are well aware, Venerable Brethren, has not come into being in one day;
it has long lurked beneath the surface. The empire of Christ over all nations
was rejected. The right which the Church has from Christ himself, to teach
mankind, to make laws, to govern peoples in all that pertains to their eternal
salvation, that right was denied. Then gradually the religion of Christ came to
be likened to false religions and to be placed ignominiously on the same level
with them. It was then put under the power of the state and tolerated more or
less at the whim of princes and rulers. Some men went even further, and wished
to set up in the place of God's religion a natural religion consisting in some
instinctive affection of the heart. There were even some nations who thought
they could dispense with God, and that their religion should consist in impiety
and the neglect of God. The rebellion of individuals and states against the
authority of Christ has produced deplorable consequences. We lamented these in
the Encyclical Ubi arcano; we lament them today: the seeds of discord sown far
and wide; those bitter enmities and rivalries between nations, which still
hinder so much the cause of peace; that insatiable greed which is so often
hidden under a pretense of public spirit and patriotism, and gives rise to so
many private quarrels; a blind and immoderate selfishness, making men seek
nothing but their own comfort and advantage, and measure everything by these; no
peace in the home, because men have forgotten or neglect their duty; the unity
and stability of the family undermined; society in a word, shaken to its
foundations and on the way to ruin.
We firmly hope, however, that the feast of
the Kingship of Christ, which in future will be yearly observed, may hasten the
return of society to our loving Savior. It would be the duty of Catholics to do all they can to bring about this happy result.
Many of these, however, have neither the station in society nor the authority
which should belong to those who bear the torch of truth. This state of things
may perhaps be attributed to a certain slowness and timidity in good people, who
are reluctant to engage in conflict or oppose but a weak resistance; thus the
enemies of the Church become bolder in their attacks. But if the faithful were
generally to understand that it behooves them ever to fight courageously under
the banner of Christ their King, then, fired with apostolic zeal, they would
strive to win over to their Lord those hearts that are bitter and estranged from
him, and would valiantly defend his rights.
25.
Moreover, the annual and universal celebration of the feast of the
Kingship of Christ will draw attention to the evils which anticlericalism has
brought upon society in drawing men away from Christ, and will also do much to
remedy them. While nations insult the beloved name of our Redeemer by
suppressing all mention of it in their conferences and parliaments, we must all
the more loudly proclaim his kingly dignity and power, all the more universally
affirm his rights.
26. The way has been happily and providentially prepared for the celebration
of this feast ever since the end of the last century. It is well known that this
cult has been the subject of learned disquisitions in many books published in
every part of the world, written in many different languages. The kingship and
empire of Christ have been recognized in the pious custom, practiced by many
families, of dedicating themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; not only
families have performed this act of dedication, but nations, too, and kingdoms.
In fact, the whole of the human race was at the instance of Pope Leo XIII, in
the Holy Year 1900, consecrated to the Divine Heart. It should be remarked also
that much has been done for the recognition of Christ's authority over society
by the frequent Eucharistic Congresses which are held in our age. These give an
opportunity to the people of each diocese, district or nation, and to the whole
world of coming together to venerate and adore Christ the King hidden under the
Sacramental species. Thus by sermons preached at meetings and in churches, by
public adoration of the Blessed Sacrament exposed and by solemn processions, men
unite in paying homage to Christ, whom God has given them for their King. It is
by a divine inspiration that the people of Christ bring forth Jesus from his
silent hiding-place in the church, and carry him in triumph through the streets
of the city, so that he whom men refused to receive when he came unto his own,
may now receive in full his kingly rights.
27. For the fulfillment of the plan of which We have spoken, the Holy Year,
which is now speeding to its close, offers the best possible opportunity. For
during this year the God of mercy has raised the minds and hearts of the
faithful to the consideration of heavenly blessings which are above all
understanding, has either restored them once more to his grace, or inciting them
anew to strive for higher gifts, has set their feet more firmly in the path of
righteousness. Whether, therefore, We consider the many prayers that have been
addressed to Us, or look to the events of the Jubilee Year, just past, We have
every reason to think that the desired moment has at length arrived for
enjoining that Christ be venerated by a special feast as King of all mankind. In
this year, as We said at the beginning of this Letter, the Divine King, truly
wonderful in all his works, has been gloriously magnified, for another company
of his soldiers has been added to the list of saints. In this year men have
looked upon strange things and strange labors, from which they have understood
and admired the victories won by missionaries in the work of spreading his
kingdom. In this year, by solemnly celebrating the centenary of the Council of
Nicaea. We have commemorated the definition of the divinity of the word
Incarnate, the foundation of Christ's empire over all men.
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28.
Therefore by Our Apostolic Authority We institute the Feast of the
Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ to be observed yearly throughout the whole
world on the last Sunday of the month of October -- the Sunday, that is, which
immediately precedes the Feast of All Saints. We further ordain that the
dedication of mankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which Our predecessor of
saintly memory, Pope Pius X, commanded to be renewed yearly, be made annually on
that day. This year, however, We desire that it be observed on the thirty-first
day of the month on which day We Ourselves shall celebrate pontifically in honor
of the kingship of Christ, and shall command that the same dedication be
performed in Our presence. It seems to Us that We cannot in a more fitting
manner close this Holy Year, nor better signify Our gratitude and that of the
whole of the Catholic world to Christ the immortal King of ages, for the
blessings showered upon Us, upon the Church, and upon the Catholic world during
this holy period.
29. It is not necessary, Venerable Brethren, that We should explain to you at
any length why We have decreed that this feast of the Kingship of Christ should
be observed in addition to those other feasts in which his kingly dignity is
already signified and celebrated. It will suffice to remark that although in all
the feasts of our Lord the material object of worship is Christ, nevertheless
their formal object is something quite distinct from his royal title and
dignity. We have commanded its observance on a Sunday in order that not only the
clergy may perform their duty by saying Mass and reciting the Office, but that
the laity too, free from their daily tasks, may in a spirit of holy joy give
ample testimony of their obedience and subjection to Christ.
The last Sunday of
October 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. Make it your duty and your task, Venerable Brethren, to see that
sermons are preached to the people in every parish to teach them the meaning and
the importance of this feast, that they may so order their lives as to be worthy
of faithful and obedient subjects of the Divine King.
30. We would now, Venerable Brethren, in closing this letter, briefly
enumerate the blessings which We hope and pray may accrue to the Church, to
society, and to each one of the faithful, as a result of the public veneration
of the Kingship of Christ.
31. When we pay honor to the princely dignity of Christ, men will doubtless
be reminded that the Church, founded by Christ as a perfect society, has a
natural and inalienable right to perfect freedom and immunity from the power of
the state; and that in fulfilling the task committed to her by God of teaching,
ruling, and guiding to eternal bliss those who belong to the kingdom of Christ,
she cannot be subject to any external power. The State is bound to extend
similar freedom to the orders and communities of religious of either sex, who
give most valuable help to the Bishops of the Church by laboring for the
extension and the establishment of the kingdom of Christ. By their sacred vows
they fight against the threefold concupiscence of the world; by making
profession of a more perfect life they render the holiness which her divine
Founder willed should be a mark and characteristic of his Church more striking
and more conspicuous in the eyes of all.
32.
Nations will be reminded by the annual celebration of this feast that not
only private individuals but also rulers and princes are bound to give public
honor and obedience to Christ. It will call to their minds the thought of the
last judgment, wherein Christ, who has been cast out of public life, despised,
neglected and ignored, will most severely avenge these insults; for his kingly
dignity 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 also in providing for the young a sound moral education.
33. The faithful, moreover, by meditating upon these truths, will gain much
strength and courage, enabling them to form their lives after the true Christian
ideal. If to Christ our Lord is given all power in heaven and on earth; if all
men, purchased by his precious blood, are by a new right subjected to his
dominion; if this power embraces all men, it must be clear that not one of our
faculties is exempt from his empire. He must reign in our minds, which should
assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the
doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and
precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires
and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our
bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior
sanctification of our souls, or to use the words of the Apostle Paul, as
instruments of justice unto God.[35] If all these truths are presented to the
faithful for their consideration, they will prove a powerful incentive to
perfection. It is Our fervent desire, Venerable Brethren, that those who are
without the fold may seek after and accept the sweet yoke of Christ, and that
we, who by the mercy of God are of the household of the faith, may bear that
yoke, not as a burden but with joy, with love, with devotion; that having lived
our lives in accordance with the laws of God's kingdom, we may receive full
measure of good fruit, and counted by Christ good and faithful servants, we may
be rendered partakers of eternal bliss and glory with him in his heavenly
kingdom.
34. Let this letter, Venerable Brethren, be a token to you of Our fatherly
love as the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ draws near; and
receive the Apostolic Benediction as a pledge of divine blessings, which with
loving heart, We impart to you, Venerable Brethren, to your clergy, and to your
people.
Given at St. Peter's Rome, on the eleventh day of the month of December, in
the Holy Year 1925, the fourth of Our Pontificate.
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