Does Christ the King Have Any Rights?

Catholic Citizenship devoted the November episode, in honor of The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (final Sunday celebration of the annual liturgical cycle: Nov. 24, 2019), to a discussion about the social reign of Christ, a doctrine that is not well known in our time.

We were surprised to discover that numerous popes in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries taught clearly and explicitly that Jesus Christ has a right to reign not only over individuals, nor only in the hearts of men, but over families, societies, nations, and states, and that the authority of Christ the King extends over all human affairs: public, social, private, and personal. For motives that to us remain obscure, the doctrine of the social reign of Christ has been largely muted even within the Church since the latter part of the Twentieth Century.

In the context of our exploration of the social reign of Christ and how this doctrine relates to Catholic citizenship, we spoke with University of Massachusetts School of Law Professor Dwight Duncan, an expert in constitutional law, particularly on issues regarding the First Amendment which guarantees freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

Thanks to Charlene and Shelbi at New Bedford Public Access TV, Channel 95, for assistance in the recording of this episode.