KINGSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST. -
I. THE TITLE AND ITS MEANING
The title of king is the one that seems best to express primacy of Jesus Christ (v.). Indeed, it was conferred upon him at the very moment of his conception: “He will reign forever over the house of Jacob, and his kingdom will have no end” (Lc. 1:33). It is also the title for which he was crucified: “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews” (Io. 19:19), Pilate had written, and insisted that it remain written; nor did the double insult that he thus fixed upon the Cross prevent him from being troubled by that title. It was, moreover, the only charge whose validity that mysterious condemned man had acknowledged: “Are you a king? Yes, you have said it: I am” (ibid. 18:37). What he meant to say, the Roman procurator was unable to understand; but the Apostles fully grasped its meaning when they received their mission from Jesus. “All power has been given to me in heaven and on earth” (Mt. 28:18-19), and St. Paul explained their common understanding by writing that Christ’s Kingdom, extending over all authorities and all powers, would not come to an end on earth until everything, including death, had been subjected to him (I Cor. 15:24-28). From that time the Church has sung in its Creed: “His kingdom will have no end” (cuius regni non erit finis).II. ORIGIN AND NATURE
This kingship presupposes in whoever claimed it a superiority of a transcendent order. It may be regarded as a kingship of conquest: Christ redeemed us and shed his blood for us: « He washed us from our sins in his blood and made us his kingdom » (Apor. 1, 4-5); s. Paul exhorts us to give thanks to God for « having delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his Son » (I Cor. 1, 13-14). Nevertheless, his kingship depends essentially on the divine nature of his person; the hypostatic union caused his human nature to be invested with II. Therefore Jesus Christ professes to have received it from the Father: « And he gave him power to judge, because he is the son of man » (Io. 5, 27); s. Paul recalls that « God subjected all things to him » (I Cor. 15, 28). Properly speaking, the kingship in question resides in Christ’s human nature; otherwise it would be impossible to explain why he claims it as his personal right and acknowledges having received it from the Father: in his divine nature he had no need to receive it, because it was common to him with the other two persons of the S.ma Trinità.Christ the King, consequently, is the same God-Man, that is, he who, owing his divine nature to the Father, received his human nature from the Virgin. But since he redeemed us in this nature and through his acts, it was in that same nature, properly speaking, that he was invested with the threefold power in which all sovereignty is summed up: legislative, judicial, and executive power. Christ the King, therefore, is the man who promulgated the precepts of the Gospel, who by his miracles gave proof of his divinity, who founded the Church, who now sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father, and who, before the tribunal of Caiaphas, announced to his judges that they would one day see him return upon the clouds of heaven. Deriving, therefore, from the very person of the Son of God, although conferred upon his human nature, through which it must be exercised, this kingship cannot be, and in fact is not, of the same order as that commonly exercised among men; it includes and surpasses II. It could therefore have been exercised in every domain, since nothing, either in heaven or on earth, is exempt from the power of the God-Man; but since he came into this world only to establish the « Kingdom of God » in it, Jesus did not assume or claim kingship for himself except insofar and in the form in which it serves the fulfilment of his mission; it is therefore not intended to supplant or annex the governments of the earth. For this reason the Apostles, who laboured to bring it to acceptance, had no thought of challenging thereby the authority of the constituted powers: these too are willed by God and are feared only by evildoers (I Pt. 2, 12-17; Rom. 13, 1-7). Jesus Christ himself, moreover, had already formally taught the same thing: if one must give to God what is God’s, one must also give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. He himself had acknowledged to Pilate the power to judge him; the criminal use made of it against him did not alter the fact that it came from above (Io. 10, 11). As for his own power, he had explained to the Roman procurator that it was of an entirely different nature. The kingship he affirmed to belong to him did not concern the interests of this world. In this respect, although it was to be exercised in this world, it was not of this world, but was identified with the kingdom of truth; and he had precisely come to bear witness to the truth. To accept his kingship and submit to it, one must be people of truth (ibid. 18, 36-37).
This is the meaning to which the Apostles and the Church refer when they speak of the kingship of G. C.: it is essentially of a spiritual order. As the Preface of the Mass of Christ the King expressly recalls, « this eternal and universal kingdom, which extends to all creatures, is a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace ». It is realised, in the proper sense, in the intellect through a firm adherence to the teachings of the Gospel, in the will through a total and trusting submission to its precepts, and in the hearts through generous self-surrender, capable of the sacrifice of life.
III. THE PROPER END OF THE KINGSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST AND ITS RELATIONS WITH CIVIL SOVEREIGNTY
It is impossible to err concerning the purpose to which the kingship of Jesus Christ is ordered. It is entirely supernatural in order; the natural order is also involved, but only insofar as it can favor or hinder the realization of God’s designs for humanity. Recognition of the kingship of Jesus Christ does not imply the establishment of a theocratic government on earth: heads of state do not receive their power from Christ the King; they are neither his delegates nor his lieutenants; the Pope, as the vicar of Jesus Christ in spiritualibus, has no “direct” power over civil governments.But the more the kingship of Jesus Christ is distinguished from civil authority, the more it surpasses II. It comes from another world and tends to lead there; by its nature and origin, it imposes itself upon all and each individual; there is no one who is not bound to recognize and accept it in all its fullness. The “truth,” of which it is the expression, casts its light upon all the moral and religious activity of humanity, with the purpose of regulating and ordering it entirely toward its supernatural end. The Church, which is entrusted with preserving, spreading, and interpreting it, participates in its authority; from Jesus Christ himself it has the mission and power to have it accepted; through it, this superhuman kingship is exercised and manifested. The task of choosing, determining, approving, and applying the means proper to ensuring its diffusion therefore belongs to the Church. From this derives for her, in relation to any government, an independence that equals, one might say, that of this very kingship.
Therefore, she is not only not hostile to them, but recognizes in civil governments an institution of divine origin and consequently teaches and inculcates respect for them. But since God, from whom all their power derives, has subordinated everything to the kingship of his Son, the Church, which is the instrument of this kingship, cannot be subject to them. Disorder, on the other hand, would arise if governments created obstacles to her fulfillment of her mission. Rather, when the Church requests it of them and insofar as she accepts it, they must lend her their assistance. In doing so they do not deviate from their own proper end: they merely recognize the supreme end that their subjects must attain and to which the Church alone is responsible for leading them. For this reason the Church must reach her subjects as they are—that is, not only as individuals, but as persons made to live, and actually living, in society; and since society in general and the particular societies that people form among themselves (above all, the family society) continually appeal to their consciences, the Church cannot leave them without guidance or assistance in those fields where the gravest responsibilities are often at stake. Hence the Church’s duty to promote what is called the Social Reign of Jesus Christ.
IV. THE SOCIAL KINGDOM OF JESUS CHRIST
By these terms one may understand a certain participation of various social groups in the worship and homage rendered to the person of Jesus Christ: worship and homage which, on pain of being vain and derisory, must be accompanied by a certain cooperation in the work of salvation pursued by the Son of God in the world. Consequently, they create between the Church and the various States a union or alliance which, without confusing their domains, entails a certain interference of their activities. Seeking and applying themselves to maintainREGALITÀ DI GESÙ CRISTO - REGALITÀ DI MARIA S.MA
questa unione, la Chiesa non domanda solo che sia riconosciuta e lasciata alle istituzioni di Cristo la possibilità di esercitare e far sentire la loro influenza su tutto ciò che, dipendendo dall'uomo, dipende per ciò stesso da Dio; ma intende anche rivendicare per gli uomini stessi il diritto che hanno di non essere impediti, ma anzi di venire aiutati da chi li governa, nel raggiungimento di ciò che costituisce il loro fine supremo. L'intesa desiderata fra i due poteri è dunque ordinata al vantaggio di coloro che sono nello stesso tempo membri della società civile e fedeli della Chiesa.
Ma, per quanto desiderabile e feconda sia questa intesa, non in essa precisamente consiste o si manifesta il Regno sociale di Gesù Cristo. Nella vita sociale, come nella vita personale degli individui questo Regno è essenzialmente di ordine interiore. Esso consiste prima di tutto nell'applicazione dei principi religiosi e morali ricordati o inculcati da Cristo alle varie contingenze della vita. Come faceva osservare Pio XII nella sua allocuzione del 10 febbr. 1952, al popolo di Roma, a nulla servirebbe il proclamare la paternità o la regalità divina, se le si proibisse di intervenire in qualsiasi modo nella vita privata o pubblica. A nulla gioverebbe l'entusiasmarsi delle idee di giustizia, di carità, di pace, se si fosse già prima decisi di non fare da parte propria nessun sacrificio a queste virtù. Non c'è per conseguenza Regno di Cristo nelle famiglie se non in quanto egli stesso presiede alla loro formazione e al conseguimento dei fini che Dio ha loro assegnati; non presiede alle relazioni sociali in generale se non nella misura, in cui ottiene che sia bandita la ricerca esclusiva dell'interesse personale; non c'è Regno sociale di Cristo là dove regna lo spirito di lucro e di dominio, che soffoca nelle anime perfino i più elementari sentimenti di umanità, o lo spirito di cupidigia, che soffre meno di essere sprovvisto di bene che non di vedere gli altri più provveduti.
Qualunque sia il campo in cui si esercita, la r. di G. C. non si stabilisce se non sulla base di un'adesione totale agli insegnamenti del Vangelo, di un'accettazione fiduciosa delle direttive della Chiesa e di una carità, che unisca Dio e il prossimo in un amore ugualmente sincero ed efficace. A questo segno, come egli disse ai suoi Apostoli, Gesù Cristo riconoscerà sempre quelli che accettano veramente di vederlo regnare in essi e su di essi. - Vedi tav. XXXI.
REGALITÀ DI MARIA S.MA. — This is the title indicating the social functions of the Virgin with regard to the Mystical Body and her relations with the entire universe. The Fathers, the liturgy, the ordinary Magisterium, and the whole teaching Church attribute this title to Maria (cf. G. Roschini [V. BIBLICA.]).
I. CONCEPT
The r. of M. can be conceived only as dependent upon that of Christ, of which it is a participation. Mary’s messianic prerogatives bear a genuine resemblance to the powers of Christ the Savior, but they display specific characteristics. Christ communicates to his Mother a particular affinity, which makes her capable of collaborating with him and acting in union with him for the same ends, although with an efficacy that, in itself, would be insufficient. In the work of Christ the King, as in that of Christ the Redeemer, Mary provides a kind of complement, which the Father foresaw, willed, and deigns to accept as intimately joined to the action—which alone is necessary—of the Savior. Thus, although sharing in Christ’s r., Mary’s does not perfectly coincide with it, above all because of the character of subordination inherent in II. It would be to distort the genuine concept of the r. of M. if one saw in it only a primacy of excellence founded upon the gifts of nature and grace. Mary is the masterpiece of the universe, and by her perfections she rises above all men and angels; this moral primacy is affirmed in the litanies, where she is invoked as queen of the Patriarchs, the Prophets, the Apostles, and all the saints. But it does not constitute the r. of M. Nor would one reach the essence of this r. by recognizing in it only that universal dominion which St. Paul attributes to the Christian (1 Cor. 3:21–23). Union with Christ introduces the faithful into his rights, making them all children in him who is the eternal Son. Mary, too, is, with singular excellence, a daughter of the Father, and shares, more than anyone, in the universal dominion of adopted children. But the r. proper to the Mother of Jesus belongs to another order, immeasurably higher, inasmuch as it confers upon her an authority that exerts its influence over the destiny of human beings and of the world.II. FOUNDATIONS AND NATURE
We must go beyond the sphere of merely human realities; a queen mother does not share in the royal prerogatives of her son; from him she derives nothing more than a moral prestige. The case of the Mother of Jesus is entirely different. Her dignity as mother of the King of kings makes her a true queen, since, by God’s will, her motherhood is surrounded by particular privileges that raise her to a throne beside that of her Son. The Ineffabilis Deus (v.) states that motherhood associates Mary intimately with her Son, making her a sharer in his messianic functions, which she exercises with him, under his dependence, and with certain restrictions arising from her condition as a woman. S. Tommaso (Sum. Theol., 3ª, q. 27, a. 5 ad 3) emphasizes this aspect: «There is no doubt whatsoever that the Blessed Virgin received in an eminent manner the gift of wisdom, the grace of miracles, and also the gift of prophecy, as Christ did. Nevertheless, she was not granted the full exercise of these gifts or of others like them, as Christ exercised them, but only to the extent befitting her condition... For this reason she did not use her wisdom to teach, because that would not have been fitting for a woman». The teaching of Pius IX is grounded in Revelation. The Protoevangelium (Gen. 3, 14-15), considered in the light of the New Testament and Tradition, announces the appearance of a woman who will share in the messiahship of her Son and in his dependence. Like a new Eve, she will have to share in the functions of a new Adam, who will be born of her and who will procure for God a new people, redeeming it, sanctifying it, and governing it according to the eternal designs of mercy. The Gospel more clearly delineated the features of the woman of the promise, and the living thought of the Church became increasingly conscious of the place of this woman in the economy of salvation. By now the woman of Genesis clearly appears within the plan of an intimate participation in the messianic prerogatives of her Son.This law of the «communicatio» of his attributes as Savior, granted by Jesus to his Mother through a very close, though subordinate, cooperation, is the principle upon which the Virgin’s participation in the redemption of the human race rests, and it authorizes the proclamation of the r. di M. Through her assent, on the day of the Annunciation, the Virgin, in the person of Christ, gave a head,
REGALITÀ DI MARIA S.MA - REGESTO
who was to guide all people of good will, within that organic body which is the Church, to the possession of the infinite Good. In this way, a new impulse toward the Father arose from the Virgin’s fiat. Mary, however, did not remain only at the beginning of this orientation. Through her participation in the messianic prerogatives of the Son, all the redeemed are placed under her government. The God-Man, born of Mary, is king of the universe by absolute right, inseparable from his person (iure nativo), and also by acquired right (iure quensito), through the new title of Redeemer (v. REGALITÀ DI GESÙ CRISTO). Now, since it is certain that the Virgin collaborated with the Redeemer in the salvation of the world, it must be held that she also participates in that kingship which her Son acquired with his blood. This correlation is a new title to Mary’s universal kingship. Mary’s existence unfolded parallel to that of Jesus, but was modeled upon it and moved within the orbit of his Mysteries. It is in heaven, at the right hand of the Father, in the omnipotence of his glorified kingship, that Jesus is fully Christ and Lord. Similarly, from the moment of her presence beside her Son in her Assumption, Mary, gathering the fruits of the correlation, exercises her universal kingship over the redeemed and over the world, whose destiny is bound up with that of souls (Rom. 8:19–22).
The work of objective redemption is complete. But Christ now applies redemption to individual souls in the Church (subjective redemption). Christ’s royal priesthood is operative because, through the individual impulses of Grace and, in a particular way, through the gift of perseverance, the faithful are led toward their supreme destiny. To designate this saving activity, the liturgy uses the verb gubernare, which emphasizes its royal character, that is, the impulse it gives to souls so that they may attain their supernatural end (cf. Hebr. 9:24; 7:25; 4:9). In her dignity as the new Eve, beside Christ, Mary reigns from above over the redeemed. In union with her Son, the Co-redemptrix continues the work begun at the Cross; she completes her mediation: she obtains the distribution of the accumulation of merits and graces acquired, to which she added the supplication of her prayer and tears. Certainly, the distribution of any Grace cannot be conceived without the intervention of the Most Holy Trinity and of Christ; only this intervention is absolutely indispensable, and only it is sufficient. No one, however, can deny that God wished Mary to exercise her maternal influence in the distribution of Grace. The supreme pontiffs, theologians, and faithful subscribe to the affirmation of s. Bernard: «Everything comes to us from Mary» (cf. Pius XII, Discorso dell'incoronazione della Madonna di Fatima, in AAS, 38 [1946], p. 266). The Virgin Mary, because she is queen, guides the faithful toward heaven and introduces them into it, insofar as she participates in the distribution of all Graces and, in a wholly particular manner, of the grace of final perseverance. Thus, at every successive moment of their lives, the faithful are governed by a royal tenderness and authority, and are led securely, if they respond to her favors, into eternal happiness.
In his encyclical Ingravescentibus malis of 29 September 1937, Pius XI invites all the faithful to invoke the august Queen of heaven against atheistic communism (AAS, 29 [1937], p. 380), which threatened Europe menacingly. He also blesses and approves the erection of a cathedral at Port-Said and the plan to dedicate it to Mary «Queen of the Universe», and sends there a Legate for its consecration, offering a gold-and-diamond necklace for the statue of Mary Queen. He also permits the invocation «Regina mundi, ora pro nobis» to be added to the Litany in the diocese of Port-Said (ibid., p. 373). In the solemn formula of consecration of the Church and the human race to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pius XII invokes the Most Holy Virgin as «Queen of the world». The liturgy continually uses the title «Queen» of Mary: «Ave, Regina caelorum», «Regina coeli, laetare», «Salve Regina», «Gloriosa regina mundi», etc.
III. FUNCTIONS
It is now obvious to ask what part the Virgin may have in the legislative, judicial, or coercive power of Christ the King, and what contribution she may make to the exercise of these powers. The answer, with s. Tommaso, isthat Mary may be invested with these powers without making integral use of them, which is conditioned by Mary’s position «secundum quod conveniebat conditioni ipsius» (Sum. Theol., 3°, q. 27, a. 5 ad 3). Christ the King is the supreme legislator of the New Covenant; he is the source of the laws that constitute the substance of his spiritual Kingdom. The Virgin Queen contributes to these laws, since they are intended for a people that is also her people. In reality, she promulgates them together with her Son, approving them with the fullness of her wisdom and adhering to them with all the strength of her spirit. She obtains for the faithful the Graces necessary to love the law effectively, to apply it to concrete circumstances, and to practice it without weakness. It is therefore fitting that the liturgy should sometimes address this prayer to Mary: «Nutantia corda tu dirige.» Moreover, s. Tommaso affirms (Sum. Theol., 1°-2°, q. 108, a. 1) that the New Law consists principally in the Grace of the Holy Spirit, and that everything else is only secondary and relative, whether to dispose one to receive the interior law or to indicate how one must submit to all the demands of that same law. It follows that, even if Mary were unrelated to the promulgation of the precepts of the New Testament, its essential element, which is a law of love acting through internal influence, would fully pertain to her, since every Grace belongs to her and the interior law of love is the noblest and most necessary manifestation of the government that leads souls to their end. Thus the queenly power of Our Lady is manifested in the part that belongs to her in bringing forth and developing the dynamic interior law, which is the characteristic aspect of the New Testament. As for the judicial and coercive powers, it is not indispensable that they be included in the queenly function of Our Lady. On the other hand, there seems to be no reason not to attribute them to her in their substantial reality. With regard to their actual exercise, it is sufficient, in order to safeguard the maternal character of her queenship, to invoke the principle enunciated by s. Tommaso concerning the restriction of the gifts actually possessed by the Virgin with respect to their use. Indeed, Tradition, which recognizes her as the Mother of mercy, does not seem to grant her any part in the exercise of the Son’s ministry of justice. With the Church, we greet Our Lady as the Queen of all mercy: «Salve Regina, mater misericordiae». - Vedi tav. XXXI.