When a month ago the date of King Charles’ coronation was announced, most of the population of the United Kingdom reacted with a great shrug of their shoulders. While there are staunch monarchists on one side and vigorous republicans on the opposite side, most of our fellow citizens are really indifferent to all things royal most of the time. I suppose there are many reasons for that but the monarchy’s irrelevance in modern Britain is probably one of the most common. Unlike in the distant past, the sovereign has no influence or impact on our lives or fate.
That leads us neatly to today’s liturgical solemnity of Jesus Christ the King of the Universe. It was introduced by Pope Pius XI in 1925 who “asserted that the most effective defence against the destructive forces of the age was the recognition of the kingship of Christ.” Following the end of the Great War, the Roaring Twenties were a time of rapidly changing social and moral norms, often breaking with traditions and introducing new trends. “Nations saw rapid industrial and economic growth, accelerated consumer demand, and introduced significant new trends in lifestyle and culture. The media, funded by the new industry of mass-market advertising driving consumer demand, focused on celebrities, especially sports heroes and movie stars, as cities rooted for their home teams and filled the new palatial cinemas and gigantic sports stadiums.” Sounds a bit familiar, doesn’t it? And – woe betide – “in many major democratic states, women won the right to vote.” Generally speaking, the political and social challenges of the time faced by the Church called for countermeasures. In his encyclical, Pope Pius XI wrote: “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.” (Quas primas 24) I think it’s safe to say, with the benefit of hindsight, that it didn’t work as intended. The world kept changing for the worse regardless of the new devotions and pieties introduced by the Pope.
I think that was the reason why the then-new liturgical festivity didn’t work, because – as is often the case – the emphasis was on pieties and devotions rather than a change of heart. Let’s go back to the British monarchy. It can provide us with spectacular visual rituals, as we recently saw at the late Queen’s funeral. But those rituals, though visually rich, are mostly inexplicable without extended commentary. More regularly we can see on our screens the monarch opening a new session of parliament; similarly, plenty of people in fancy dress performing puzzling routines, followed by the king presenting his government’s legislative plans. But he has no input on those plans. Decided and written down by the Prime Minister and his or her ministers, they are read out by the monarch whether he likes them or not, whether he agrees with them or not. The role of the king is purely ceremonial and ornamental. In that respect, the British constitutional monarchy seems to be a near-perfect reflection of many Catholics’ religious life.
In the same document, Pope Pius XI beautifully presented what was the real purpose of the new solemnity: “The faithful […] 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 […] 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 […], which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls.” (Quas primas 33) In the Pope’s mind, the then-new celebration was to be an opportunity to reflect on and – if needed – to confront our attitudes in light of the Ten Commandments, the Gospel and the teachings of the Church, based on and derived from the Holy Scriptures. In other words, you must let Jesus have a real and genuine influence on your life in all its aspects. Transformed by him, you will become his throne of glory.
Image by Annie Hara from Pixabay
