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In the Heart of
the Church |
Quas Primas
"On the Feast of Christ the King"
Encyclical Letter of Pope Pius XI
Pontificate 1922-1939 AD
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.
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.
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.
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.
PIUS XI
1. Eph. iii, 9.
2. Dan. vii, 13-14.
3. Num. xxiv, 19.
4. Ps. ii.
5. Ps. xliv.
6. Ps. Ixxi.
7. Isa. ix, 6-7.
8. Jer. xxiii, 5.
9. Dan. ii, 44.
10. Dan. vii, 13-14.
11. Zach. ix, 9.
12. Luc. i, 32-33.
13. Matt. xxv, 31-40.
14. Joan. xviii, 37.
15. Matt. xxviii, 18.
16. Apoc. 1, 5.
17. Apoc. xix, 16.
18. Heb. 1, 2.
19. Cf. 1 Cor. xv, 25.
20. In huc. x.
21. I Pet. i, 18-19.
22. 1 Cor. vi, 20.
23. I Cor. vi, 15.
24. Conc. Trid.
Sess. Vl, can. 21.
25. Joan. xiv, 15; xv,
10.
26. Joan. v, 22.
27. Hymn for the
Epiphany.
28. Enc. Annum
Sacrum, May 25, 1899.
29. Acts iv, 12.
30. S. Aug. Ep. ad
Macedonium, c. iii.
31. Enc. Ubi Arcano.
32. I Cor.vii,23.
33. Enc. Annum
Sanctum, May 25, 1899.
34. Sermo 47 de
Sanctis.
35. Rom. vi, 13.
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