(LifeSiteNews) — Catholics recently marked the end of the liturgical year by celebrating the Feast of Christ the King.
In this era of diversity, equity and inclusion, the idea of celebrating anything royal can seem quaint at best, and certainly undemocratic.
The only king who generates any interest in the USA these days is the recently installed King Charles III of England. And that largely due to the fuss caused by prodigal son Harry and his prickly wife, Megan Merkle.
From this American perspective, Charles seems less kingly than simply worn out from waiting to succeed his long-reigning mother, Queen Elizabeth.
Why does the Church deem it necessary to celebrate Christ’s kingly aspect? Jesus himself emphasized that his kingdom was “not of this world.”
The Feast of Christ the King (more properly designated the “Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe”) was added to the liturgical calendar in 1925 by Pope Pius XI.
Pius observed the world becoming increasingly secularized. Communism had taken over Russia. World War I had toppled most of the ruling Christian dynasties of Europe. Christianity itself, as a comprehensive system of thought, was losing influence in intellectual circles, as well as in the considerations of pressing political issues then under discussion.
Materialism was the dominant philosophical outlook.
Why did the pope see this as a problem in need of attention? In many ways the Church was thriving at that time. People were going to Mass in huge numbers. Catholic schools were filled. The priesthood and religious orders were bulging.
Surely it was possible to live a good Christian life, even amid this growing materialist secularism.
What Pius understood was that when God is pushed aside — that is, when biblical principles and Christian virtue cease to be the recognized moral standards by which ideas are evaluated and actions are judged — then human beings become unleashed to do pretty much whatever they want.
In other words, if Christ is no longer king, then the only measure of good and evil is power. As the old expression puts it: might makes right.
This would become glaringly obvious in the atheistic Soviet Union, where everything depended on the collective will of the Communist Party. The Nazis in Germany and the Fascists in Italy would follow similar paths. And the combined result was moral collapse and worldwide catastrophe, resulting in the deaths of millions.
There’s nothing new in this, of course. The human longing for ultimate control goes all the way back to Adam and Eve or the Tower of Babel. From the beginning, mankind has sought to seize divine power and “be as gods.”
Today’s it’s downright fashionable. You can see it in those agnostic types who think of themselves as being above religious superstition and also in politicians who try to maintain a veneer of faith.
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It was evident in this year’s White House Thanksgiving proclamation.
That was a truly remarkable statement in which Biden remembered the native Wampanoag people who came to the aid of the Pilgrims, thus making the first Thanksgiving feast possible. He also urged that we should appreciate those today who give of themselves generously to help others — everyone from teachers to union workers, to public servants, and other key groups (especially those considered Democrat constituencies).
For all his invocations of gratitude, however, our “Catholic” president made absolutely no mention of the God to whom we should really be thankful.
The decline of Christian influence is startlingly evident when Biden’s pronouncement is compared to George Washington’s call for a national day of giving thanks.
In 1789 our first President observed “…the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor…” Thus he recommended establishing “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God….”
The contrast couldn’t be clearer.
There’s a meme circulating on social media in which God declares, “I love atheists because they choose to be good not out of fear of hell but because it’s the right thing to do.”
This little graphic is a great stroke to the egos of nonbelievers, in that it attributes virtue entirely to human choice. But it expresses a grave error.
When moral judgments depend entirely on our own intellect, our own preferences, our own will, we might decide that anything is right. And history has shown us that following this path puts us in danger of losing our freedom, of losing our lives, and eventually of losing our souls.
Rather, we are called upon to comply with what is truly right —transcendently right, eternally right — aside from our own opinion of the matter. We must do the will of God.
Jesus Christ must be King. There is no other option.
This essay is based on a homily delivered by Fr. Orsi. A priest of the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, Rev. Michael P. Orsi currently serves as parochial vicar at St. Agnes Parish in Naples, Florida. He is host of “Action for Life TV,” a weekly cable television series devoted to pro-life issues, and his writings appear in numerous publications and online journals. His TV show episodes can be viewed online here.
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