(LifeSiteNews) — U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has stoked controversy by promoting an article which accuses traditional Catholics of being “parasites” who are engaged in “the slow poisoning of existing institutions” in the United States.
Cruz said the anti-Catholic article was “the best and most comprehensive explanation of what we’re fighting.” At the core of the article is the rejection of Catholic teaching on the Social Kingship of Jesus Christ. Cruz’s endorsement of the piece comes less than a week after he expressed concern that the phrase “Christ is King” was being used as an antisemitic “code word.”
The author of the article shared by Cruz attacks “integralism,” which he defines as “a pre-Vatican II political theology that holds the Catholic Church should exercise direct authority over temporal governments, that religious liberty is a Protestant error, and that a properly ordered state must subordinate itself to Church teaching.”
He continues:
Integralism wraps itself in the language of faith, but it is not primarily a theology – it is a political program for the seizure of state power. Christ is not its center. The Church as a governing institution with coercive temporal authority is its center.
What integralism ultimately demands is not that more people come to know Jesus. It demands that a specific ecclesiastical hierarchy sit above elected governments, that civil law bend to Church authority, and that the democratic consent of the governed be subordinated to the doctrinal pronouncements of an unelected clerical class. That is not Christianity.
That is theocratic monarchy with a cross on the flag.
These passages contain a mixture of truth and falsehood.
- It is true that Our Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal King and Supreme High Priest, exercises authority over all human beings, both individuals and states. Jesus Christ is the Divine Head of the Church and the Supreme Ruler of every state.
- It is true that all men must publicly acknowledge Jesus Christ and make a public profession of the Catholic faith, and that this obligation does not cease when individuals come together to form societies.
- It is true that the laws of every state must conform to the natural law written into creation, and to the divine law revealed by God.
- It is false to claim that the Catholic Church seeks “seizure of state power,” considers itself a “governing institution” as regards the affairs of state, or seeks in any way to usurp the legitimate authority of the state.
- It is false to assert that the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church is a “political program” and “not primarily a theology” or that it could ever fail to have its Divine Teacher as its center and source.
- It is false to suggest that God’s truth, whether made known in nature or revelation, should be subject to “the democratic consent of the governed.” This is an error condemned by the Sacred Magisterium of the Church.
This article will explain what the Catholic Church really teaches about the relationship between Church and state and the kingship of Jesus Christ.
God established two forms of authority to direct mankind
“The Almighty,” taught Pope Leo XIII, “has given the charge of the human race to two powers, the ecclesiastical and the civil, the one being set over divine, and the other over human, things.”
Ecclesiastical authority is exercised by the Catholic Church. Civil authority is exercised by the various states which govern specific portions of mankind.
The Catholic Church and the state are distinct societies. Of these two societies Pope Leo XIII taught:
Each in its kind is supreme, each has fixed limits within which it is contained, limits which are defined by the nature and special object of the province of each, so that there is, we may say, an orbit traced out, within which the action of each is brought into play by its own native right.
The Catholic Church works for the salvation and sanctification of mankind. She preaches the Gospel to the whole world and teaches the fullness of the revelation entrusted to her by God. Through her sacraments she makes men holy and prepares them for eternal life. Her end is the supernatural happiness of man.
The state, on the other hand, works for the temporal good of those over whom it exercises authority. This means it works for the fuller development of the physical, intellectual, and moral life of its subjects and seeks to provide peace and prosperity for all its people. Its end is the natural happiness of man.
These two spheres are distinct from each other, and neither Church nor state ought to usurp the role proper to the other.
They are distinct societies and thus in a very real sense separate from each other.
On the other hand, the membership of both bodies overlaps. Every member of the Catholic Church is also the member of a state, though not every member of a state is a member of the Catholic Church. Thus, it possible to be simultaneously subject to both the Church and the state.
Therefore, Pope Leo XIII teaches:
There must, accordingly, exist between these two powers a certain orderly connection, which may be compared to the union of the soul and body in man. The nature and scope of that connection can be determined only, as We have laid down, by having regard to the nature of each power, and by taking account of the relative excellence and nobleness of their purpose.
The state derives its authority from God
That the Catholic Church teaches that her authority derives from God will not surprise anyone, even those who deny her claims.
The assertion that the state also derives its authority from God is perhaps more surprising, even unsettling, for many people today.
This is a result of the widespread acceptance of the liberal error that political authority derives from the consent of the governed. According to liberal theory, the state arises from a “social contract” by which individuals each surrender a measure of freedom in order to gain a measure of security.
The authority of the state to enforce laws thus derives from the consent of individual human wills that are pooled together in the state, hence the modern, now almost dominant, view that democracy with a wide franchise is the only legitimate form of government.
The Catholic Church on the other hand asserts that the authority of the state is derived from God.
God is the Creator of all things and sustains them in being at every moment. Everything which exists is entirely dependent on Him and is directed by Him toward the end for which He created. God directs mankind to our proper end by means of the natural law He has imprinted on us. (For a more detailed examination of this question, see HERE).
It is in accordance with human nature, as created by God, that men live together in society and must subject themselves to human authority. Pope Leo XIII explains:
Man’s natural instinct moves him to live in civil society, for he cannot, if dwelling apart, provide himself with the necessary requirements of life, nor procure the means of developing his mental and moral faculties. Hence, it is divinely ordained that he should lead his life – be it family, or civil – with his fellow men, amongst whom alone his several wants can be adequately supplied.
Such social life requires an authority to direct it. The Supreme Pontiff continued:
But, as no society can hold together unless someone be over all, directing all to strive earnestly for the common good, every body politic must have a ruling authority, and this authority, no less than society itself, has its source in nature, and has, consequently, God for its Author.
From this the pope draws an important conclusion:
Hence, it follows that all public power must proceed from God. For God alone is the true and supreme Lord of the world. Everything, without exception, must be subject to Him, and must serve him, so that whosoever holds the right to govern holds it from one sole and single source, namely, God, the sovereign Ruler of all. “There is no power but from God.”
This is also the teaching of Sacred Scripture:
Let every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God: and those that are, are ordained of God. Therefore, he that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. (Rm 13: 1-3)
The authority of the state is not derived, as the article promoted by Ted Cruz erroneously states, from a “democratic consent of the governed,” but from God.
Jesus Christ is the Supreme Ruler of every state
Every king, every president, every prime minister, every legislative assembly, every judge, every magistrate, every person who exercises legitimate authority over another human being, ultimately derives that power from Almighty God.
This means that they are strictly bound to use that power only in accordance with the law of God. Pope Leo XIII teaches:
[R]ulers must ever bear in mind that God is the paramount ruler of the world, and must set Him before themselves as their exemplar and law in the administration of the State.
The authorities of the state are secondary causes of human happiness, whose government ought to reflect the government of the divine First Cause:
For, in things visible God has fashioned secondary causes, in which His divine action can in some wise be discerned, leading up to the end to which the course of the world is ever tending. In like manner, in civil society, God has always willed that there should be a ruling authority, and that they who are invested with it should reflect the divine power and providence in some measure over the human race.
The ultimate ruler of the world is God. That is why Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, is rightly called King and should be regarded as the Supreme Ruler of every state. Pope Pius XI teaches that the title of King is not merely metaphorical but is a true statement of Our Incarnate Lord’s authority over everything in the universe.
Pius explained:
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.” 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 angels and men are subject, and must recognize his empire; by reason of the hypostatic union Christ has power over all creatures.
And he taught:
It would be a grave error … 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.
He continued:
[T]he 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.”
And he affirmed:
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.
Jesus Christ is King and rules over all men, all nations, and all states. Rebellion against His kingship is a rejection of man’s subordination to, and dependence on, God, the Creator of the universe. It is a sin of unspeakable magnitude which should fill all men with horror. It is the cause of many of the evils which afflict our world today. Pope Pius XI taught:
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.
And he affirmed:
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.
The state must confess the true Catholic religion
God has revealed Himself to us in Jesus Christ. By miracles and prophecy, He has given us all the evidence we need to know that He is God, and that His teaching is true. There is an obligation to accept the Gospel once we have heard it preached. The gravity of this obligation was made clear by Our Lord Himself:
And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned. (Mk 16:15-16)
The obligation of believing and professing the Gospel does not cease when we come together as individuals to form larger societies, including states, as Pope Leo XIII teaches:
Nature and reason, which command every individual devoutly to worship God in holiness, because we belong to Him and must return to Him, since from Him we came, also bind the civil community by a like law.
This is because:
[M]en living together in society are under the power of God no less than individuals are, and society, no less than individuals, owes gratitude to God who gave it being and maintains it and whose ever-bounteous goodness enriches it with countless blessings.
Just as individuals have duties toward God, the State which is composed by those very individuals, must “act up to the manifold and weighty duties linking it to God, by the public profession of religion.”
The state cannot choose a religion for itself, but is bound to adhere to that religion which is true:
[N]o one is allowed to be remiss in the service due to God, and since the chief duty of all men is to cling to religion in both its teaching and practice – not such religion as they may have a preference for, but the religion which God enjoins, and which certain and most clear marks show to be the only one true religion – it is a public crime to act as though there were no God.
So, too, is it a sin for the State not to have care for religion as something beyond its scope, or as of no practical benefit; or out of many forms of religion to adopt that one which chimes in with the fancy; for we are bound absolutely to worship God in that way which He has shown to be His will.
Therefore, it is “one of the chief duties” of “all who rule” to “favor religion, to protect it, to shield it under the credit and sanction of the laws, and neither to organize nor enact any measure that may compromise its safety. This is the bounden duty of ruler to the people over whom they rule.”
The state must therefore profess the Catholic religion, and favor and protect the Catholic Church.
The Church is a more exalted society than the state
We have seen in this article that God established two forms of authority by which He governs mankind: ecclesiastical and civil.
Each has its own sphere, and ought not to interfere in the legitimate exercise of the other’s authority. As Our Lord said: “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God, the things that are God’s.” (Mt 22:21)
The obligation of the state to obey the laws of God, and to profess the true religion, is not the same thing as the state being governed by the Church. The authorities of the Church and the authorities of the state are distinct, but both are subject the authority of God.
Or, to put it another way: the Church does not rule the state, Jesus Christ rules both. This can only be confused with theocracy, as is done by the article shared by Ted Cruz, if one fails to understand the implications of the absolute dependence of creation on its Creator.
While the Church does not govern the state, it is the more exalted of the two societies. This is because the Church has a supernatural end, while the state has only a temporal end. The state can help man achieve natural happiness, but it cannot bring man to supernatural happiness in the vision of God.
Pope Leo XIII explains that the Church “is made up of men, just as civil society is, and yet is supernatural and spiritual, on account of the end for which it was founded, and of the means by which it aims at attaining that end.”
The end “at which the Church aims is by far the noblest of ends,” and therefore, “is its authority the most exalted of all authority, nor can it be looked upon as inferior to the civil power, or in any manner dependent upon it.”
How conflicts between Church and state should be resolved
The membership of Church and state overlaps and therefore a clash between their respective commands is possible. Pope Leo XIII taught:
Inasmuch as each of these two powers has authority over the same subjects, and as it might come to pass that one and the same thing – related differently, but still remaining one and the same thing – might belong to the jurisdiction and determination of both, God, who foresees all things, and who is the author of these two powers, has marked out the course of each in right correlation to the other.
He continues:
Whatever, therefore in things human is of a sacred character, whatever belongs either of its own nature or by reason of the end to which it is referred, to the salvation of souls, or to the worship of God, is subject to the power and judgment of the Church. Whatever is to be ranged under the civil and political order is rightly subject to the civil authority.
Such conflicts can usually be avoided by each society respecting the proper sphere of the other.
There are occasions when the authorities of the state must yield before the law or teachings of the Catholic Church, because the matter in question pertains to the salvation of souls or the worship of God. This is not because the ecclesiastical hierarchy is trying to exercise or usurp civil authority, but rather because the civil authority is bound, like the Church, to obey the God from whom its power derives.
The Reign of Love
God is the Creator of all that exists, and all things are sustained in being by Him at every moment of its existence.
Human beings were made by God in order to be happy with Him for all eternity. God directs us to our final end by means of authorities which He has established and which derive their power from Him.
All authority exercised by man must be exercised in accordance with the eternal law of God, as made known to us in the order of nature and through the revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ.
This is the basis on which the Catholic Church affirms that Jesus Christ is King over every man, woman, and child, and over every state and nation.
This is not “a political program for the seizure of state power,” disguised as theology, but rather a central truth of the Christian religion.
The Kingship of Christ is hated, feared, and resisted by modern man, because modern man does not wish to submit to God.
But for as long as man refuses to acknowledge his absolute dependence on his Creator, our world will not know peace.
As the world descends further into bloodshed chaos and war it is time to hear once more Pius XI’s call for us to return to Jesus Christ, for:
“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.”
May Christ’s Reign of Love soon be restored to this suffering world of ours!
