Quas Primas - Pope Pius XI

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1 Quas Primas - Pope Pius XI december 11, on the feast of christ the king With this encyclical, Pope Pius XI established a new liturgical feast in honor of Christ the King. He decreed that it should be celebrated annually in order to help combat the diabolical spirit of the age which attempts to thrust Christ from the public sphere and rejects His universal kingship. It also provides an excellent catechesis on the nature of the liturgical year. The manifold evils in the world are due to the fact that the majority of men have thrust Jesus Christ and His holy law out of their lives; these have no place either in private affairs or in politics. As long as individuals and states refuse to submit to the rule of Our Savior, there will be no hopeful prospect for a lasting peace among nations. Men must look for the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ. [No. 1] Question: How must individuals and states submit to the kingship of Christ? What is the relationship between the Empire of Christ and His Church, the one Source of Salvation? Numerous reasons why Christ is our King: [No. 7-11] (1) His highest degree of perfection, (2) His intellect and knowledge (He is Truth); (3) He reigns in the wills of men (obedience, grace); (4) He is King of hearts (charity, mercy, kindness); (5) In His humanity He is our actual and literal king. There is strong scriptural and liturgical testimony bearing witness of His kingship. His priesthood and His kingship are inexorably linked [No. 16], both being rooted in the mystery of the Incarnation [No. 27], The Catholic Church Which is the Kingdom of Christ on earth continues to proclaim Christ King, especially through her LITURGY. The rule of faith is indicated by the law of our worship. [No. 12] Legem credendi lex statuit supplicandi The Kingdom of Christ is Spiritual Penance, faith, and baptism are necessary. It is opposed to the kingdom of Satan. It demands of its subjects a detachment from the world, gentleness, justice, denial of self, and acceptance of the Cross. [No. 15] Christ is King by virtue of His... [No. 13] Essence: He is God Almighty, our Creator Nature: The Hypostatic Union, He is God-and-man Conquest: He is our Redeemer; saved us from the dominion of Satan 58

2 The Lordship of Christ is a Threefold Power [No. 14] Law Giver: He is not just our Redeemer, but also gives the Law. This is dogma! Judicial Power: He is the Final Judge (eternal rewards and punishments) Executive Power: Obedience by ALL is due Him; none can escape His sanctions. The Social Kingship of Jesus Christ [No ] The whole of mankind is subject to Jesus Christ; not just those who belong to the Church, but ALL, even non-christians The individual, family, state, society; men collectively and individually There is no salvation outside of (without) Jesus Rulers of nations - to preserve their authority and promote prosperity - should not neglect the public duty of reverence and obedience to Christ It is a grave error to think that Christ has no authority in civil affairs Without Christ, society has not secure foundation, and will fall If men recognize Christ s Kingship, in public and private, then there will be many blessings: real liberty, discipline, peace, and harmony (Note: The connection to the message of Our Lady of Fatima). Christ s Kingship must be recognized and understood by ALL [No. 21] Nothing will serve this goal better than instituting a liturgical feast Man is composed of body and soul and the sacred rites help him live the truths God teaches us for salvation (dogma) with greater spiritual profit The liturgy excels at combatting current evils of the day. It is the quintessential weapon which God has given the Church, the perfect antidote. The Liturgy is salt and light for the world. The many evils afflicting the world today stem from the rebellion of individuals and states against the authority of Christ. This plague of anti-clericalism has led to many errors and impious activities. [No. 24] Catholics must fight courageously and zealously to defend Christ s kingly rights. We dare not be timid or shy away from conflict. We must proclaim Him all the more loudly when nations and men insult and suppress His Name. [No ] Pious customs help proclaim His kingship, e.g. Sacred Heart devotion, Public adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, solemn processions, etc. [No. 26] Council of Nicea (325 AD) This Jubilee Year (1925) marks the 1600th anniversary of Nicea, which added to the Creed: of whose kingdom there shall be no end. [No. 5] Liturgical Feasts [No. 22] Feasts are instituted to serve the needs of the Church; yielding many blessings The public and legitimate honor paid to the Blessed Virgin and the Saints has kept the Church s doctrine perfect and perpetually immune from error and heresy. 59

3 From time to time, God allows men s piety to grow weak and heresy to attack the Church, so that the truth will shine with greater splendor and men s faith, aroused from lethargy, may be more vigorous than before. Liturgical Principles The Liturgy is Incarnational Lex Orandi, Lex Credndi The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the Source and Summit of life. The Mass directly affects what takes place in the world. Pius XI establishes the Feast of Christ the King [No ] To be observed in the whole world on the Last Sunday of October An annual dedication of mankind to the Sacred Heart is to be made that day The last Sunday in October is selected because: It is at the end of the liturgical year It is the crowning glory of the mysteries of the life of Christ (here on earth) Before celebrating the Saints, we celebrate Him in whom all the Saints triumph Note: We are celebrating the Kingship of Christ here on this earth (not in heaven). November is then dedicated to prayer for the Poor Souls and the Last Things. Bishops must explain this annual feast, so that it will yield much fruit and beneficial results. [No. 6, 29] The Public Veneration of Christ the King will bring Blessings [No ] All will recall the rights of the Church (teach, govern, and sanctify) The Church is a perfect society. She is not subject to any external power. She, and her religious, must be free to extend and establish the Kingdom of Christ. Nations and rulers, considering the Last Judgment, will give public honor and obedience to Christ, taking into account the Commandments of God and Christian principles (Note: The emphasis on moral education of the young). The faithful will gain strength and courage. It shall be a powerful incentive to perfection (sanctity). This feast makes it clear that none of our faculties are exempt from Christ s kingship (mind, will, heart, body). The public veneration of Christ will help lead us to heaven! (Note: The teaching that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church is implicit). 60

4 Quas Primas Appendix Liturgical Calendar Note: Following Vatican II, with the revolution of the Liturgical Calendar, the Feast of Christ the King was transferred to the Sunday before Advent. This is highly problematic. (1) The emphasis is moved from Christ s temporal reign on earth to His eschatological reign in heaven. Yet this is NOT why the Feast is needed or instituted. (2) The authority of the Catholic Church in temporal affairs is weakened. (3) The link between Christ and His Saints is reduced. (4) The annual consecration of mankind to the Sacred Heart is omitted. (5) There is less of an emphasis given to the Holy Souls in November and to the Last Things. (6) What prompted the move of such an important feast for modern man? (7) It is interesting to note, that Reformation Sunday used to conflict with the Feast of Christ the King. In the new calendar, there is no longer this opposition. Reformation Sunday is a Protestant feast that commemorates Luther s nailing his 95 Thesis to the Church in Wittenberg, is celebrated on the Last Sunday of October. Ubi Arcano Dei Conislio (December 23, 1922) Pius XI references his inaugural encyclical, On the Peace of Christ in His Kingdom, in which he delineates many of the evils plaguing society in this age:» External Aggression: although the Great War is ended, nations are still not at peace; nationalism is growing» Internal Discord: class warfare, political infighting, familial disintegration, purity and modesty of women is lost» Inordinate desire for material goods and pleasures of the flesh is increasing» Christ is being banished from public life, government, schools, marriage... 61

5 DEFINITION OF THE CHURCH St. Robert Bellarmine ( ), Jesuit Theologian, Cardinal, and Doctor of the Church The Church is one, not two-fold, and this one true Catholic Church is the assembly of men united in the profession of the same true Christian Faith, and in the communion of the same sacraments, under the rule of legitimate pastors and particularly that of the one Vicar of Christ on earth, the Roman Pontiff. Note: The three external criteria (Belief, Practice, Authority) and the four marks (One, Holy Catholic Apostolic) which are essential to this perfect society. St. Robert Bellarmine also states: "And so there is this difference between [the Catholic view] and all others, that all others require internal virtues to constitute someone in the Church, and on that account they make the true Church invisible; but we, although we believe that all virtues, such as faith, hope, charity, etc., are found in the Church, yet that anyone can in some way be called a part of the true Church, about which Scripture speaks, we do not believe any internal virtues are required, but only external profession of the faith, and communion of the sacraments, which are perceived by the senses. For the Church is a assembly of men as visible and palpable as is the assembly of the people of Rome, or the kingdom of France, or the republic of Venice." John F. Kennedy Speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association September 12, 1960 While the so-called religious issue is necessarily and properly the chief topic here tonight, I want to emphasize from the outset that we have far more critical issues to face in the 1960 election... I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute - where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be Catholic) how to act... I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish - where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source - where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials - and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all... Finally, I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end - where all men and all churches are treated as equal... I believe in a President whose religious views are his own private affair... I am not the Catholic candidate for President. I am the Democratic Party's candidate for President who happens also to be a Catholic. I do not speak for my church on public matters - and the church does not speak for me. Whatever issue may come before me as President - on birth control, divorce, censorship, gambling or any other subject - I will make my decision in accordance with these views, in accordance with what my conscience tells me to be the national interest, and without regard to outside religious pressures or dictates. And no power or threat of punishment could cause me to decide otherwise. Following in this vein, Mario Cuomo gave a horrendous speech at Notre Dame University (September 13, 1984) defending his Catholicism and his support of a woman s right to murder her child in utero. 62