The Kingship of Christ, Art, and Tradition

“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,”

Defining Church Teaching

It is a common misconception, that the faithful do not hold a belief universally until it is formally declared by the Church. But this is not the way of things. The Church makes a formal declaration, be it a doctrine, a dogma, a teaching, or even a feast-day or solemnity, in response to a need.

The Sacrament of Matrimony is a good example. Detractors will point to the Council of Trent, in the 16th century, as the basis for our belief that marriage is a sacrament of the Church that conveys an increase in sanctifying grace. They will infer that before the council, marriage was not thought of as a sacrament.

This of course is not true. The belief in marriage as a sacrament can be traced back to apostolic times. It was defined at Trent in response to the so-called reformers who denied the sacramental character of the sacrament.

The Church Responds

The aftermath of World War I, followed so quickly by World War II, sparked a massive change in western society and culture. People searched for a cause of all the horror and bloodshed and loss they had endured for so many years. In the minds of many leaders, it was the “old way” of doing thing that was responsible for all the world’s ills. And so anything that was considered “the old way” was abandoned. Unfortunately Christian values and teachings and morals were caught up in what was considered the “old way.” The year 1922 saw the establishment of the first explicitly atheistic totalitarian regime, soviet communism. Thus began a turning away from Christianity that has continued to this day, growing only stronger with each passing year.

In 1925, Pope Pius X wrote:

“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” (Quas primas, 24).

It is not true that Christianity is responsible for all the troubles of the world. We must not believe the lie that all religions are the same. We must reject the claim that following Christ has no place in formulating the laws and customs of our communities. If we exclude Christ and Christian values from public life, we will only give more room for the new paganism to flourish.

It is only through Christianity, for example, that we came to realize that slavery was an injustice and it was gradually eliminated. Where slavery still exists today, it is usually in a non Christian society. Christianity is responsible for countless schools, universities, and hospitals. The Catholic Church is the largest charitable organization in the world.

Pope Pius XI responded to the abandoning of Christian values by instituting the solemnity of “Christ the King.” On that occasion he wrote:

“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… 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 that end nothing would serve better than the institution of a special feast in honor of the Kingship of Christ.” (Quas primas, 19, 21)

The solemnity serves as a reminder to the world that we can do nothing without Christ. To reject Him is to reject our only hope, to accept Him is to accept eternal life.

Art as a Continuation of Christian Tradition

With the rejection of Christian values came the loss of the common understanding of Christian Tradition. Art is a good example. The symbolism incorporated into Christian art was at one time widely understood. Now it must be explained.

On the apse wall in the basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. is a large mosaic of Christ seated in Judgment. People either love it or hate it. Some who hate it point out that the mosaic depicts a muscular, physically strong Christ. But Christ triumphed in weakness. The Lord of all creation made Himself small and humble to conquer sin and death. Therefore, they say, the image is a blasphemy.

We have to remember that artists attempt to depict the infinite within the bounds of the finite. The greatest challenge of the artist is to try to make the limitless, understandable to our limited comprehension. The language of art is the language of symbols.

The appearance of a physically strong Christ is a symbol of His spiritual strength.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. Jesus told us His kingdom was not of this earth. But He is frequently depicted in art as an earthly king because it is a symbol of His divine kingship. The thief at the Lord’s left did not understand this. The thief on the right did.

The thief on the left asked to be delivered from his physical pain and suffering. The thief on the right asked only that he not be forgotten when Christ came into His kingdom.

The Kingdom of God begins in our hearts. It is there He reigns. As we prepare our hearts to wait for his coming let us ask ourselves who truly rules over us?

Pax vobiscum
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe