The empire of Christ

In his encyclical letter Annum Sacrum, His Holiness Pope Leo XIII reminded us that, "The empire of Christ the King 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."

All men are subject to the rule of Jesus Christ the King. And this for two reasons: first, because He is our Creator and we are His created subjects. Without God, we would not exist. Therefore, we owe Him everything while He owes us nothing. And it follows that no one has a right to withhold his obedience to God. Secondly, as Pope Pius XI explains to us in his encyclical letter Quas Primas, we must subject ourselves to Christ the King because He is our King by acquired right as well as by natural right, because He is our Redeemer: "Would that those who forget what they have cost our Saviour 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.' We are no longer our own, For Christ has purchased us 'with a great price'; our very bodies are the 'members of Christ.'"

That we are Christ's subjects both by natural and acquired right, the Holy Spirit explains to us through St. John in Revelation, Chapter 17. We read there that Christ is "the ruler of the kings of the earth" (v. 18). Since the kings of the earth (nations and those who govern them) are subject to the Kingship of Jesus Christ, Christ has a right to over entire societies as well as individual persons.

Jesus is our brother and also our friend. But let us not forget that He is also our King and our Judge. And that we are His creatures who owe Him our total obedience.

Paul