In the 19th century, there was a very strong movement to oust God from the realm of public life.
Led by atheists who proudly called themselves “philosophers,” they wanted to reconstruct society based only on human reason and achievement. They wanted to relegate God to the dark corners of the sacristy. They considered religion as a purely private affair that should have no repercussion in public and social life.
Perhaps, they were reacting to some mistaken interference of religious authorities into purely secular affairs. They were reacting to “clericalism” by substituting a virulent “anti-clericalism” which was equally wrong.
For many years, the Church suffered from this anti-clericalism, and her rights were unjustly trampled upon. The notion began to spread that religion was a purely private matter and that society had to develop along its own way, without God and without so-called religious taboos.
But society without God has no firm foundation for its morals. Such absence of public morals is at the bottom of the internecine wars that have plagued the 19th and the 20th centuries.
The latest war was the devastating conflagration of the Second World War, that started more than 50 years ago. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Second World War, Pope John Paul II pointed out the underlying cause of the war:
“The moral abyss into which contempt for God, and thus for man, plunged the world 50 years ago made us touch with our very fingers, as it were, the power of the ruler of this world [John 14:30], who can seduce consciences through falsehood, through scorn for man and for law, and through the cult of power and force.… The principle of equal respect for States, for each people’s right to self-determination and for their free cooperation in view of the higher common good of humanity.” (L’Osservatore Romano, September 4, 1989)
Ultimately, Christ is the source of true peace. The Solemnity of Christ the King shows us that Christ, who is both God and Man, who redeemed mankind from the slavery of evil, is truly king of Peace. He has supreme authority over all things.
In the first place, He has to reign and govern in the heart of each individual. But he also has authority over the affairs of societies and nations.
Civil society, it is true, enjoys a legitimate autonomy and cannot be subject to a theocracy. That, after all, is part of the plan of God. But it is cannot relegate religion and the values that religion stands for, to the background.
What is needed is neither clericalism nor anti-clericalism, but a wholesome mutual cooperation and recognition of spheres of competence.
Civil society has to strive for the common good of men. But the common good is not just economic development, but also includes the spiritual welfare of each member of society.
By making Christ reign, we can bring true peace back to society.