By Chris Sparks
First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:1-4).
There is something deeply and abidingly Catholic, and therefore Christian, about the phrase “God save the King” (which will be resounding across the Atlantic this weekend). It’s the sort of phrase even those of us who live in a country whose founding was defined by rejecting the British monarchy ought to be willing to say, and to mean.
But “God save the King” — from what? From the temptations of power and wealth; from the dangers of celebrity and high office; from the world, the flesh, and the devil; from the traps and snares waiting the soul of every man and woman, every child of God on the face of this earth, in this valley of tears.
And why? Why should we Americans, we Catholics, pray for the British monarch, the heir to the professedly Protestant throne of Queen Elizabeth I and the crown that our forefathers fought to be well free of during the American Revolution?
Pray for those in authority
Because, as St. Paul identified more than 2,000 years ago, we are well served by praying for all in authority and begging God’s grace upon them. Without our prayers, the status quo will never improve. Without the grace of God, who is the source of all order, we may well be forced to face the even more terrible evils of anarchy, of chaos, of the exploitation of the weak by the strong without any hope of recourse or protection.
After all, the abuse of high office does not render high office unimportant or unnecessary; rather, the abuse of high office proves the need for good and faithful execution of its duties.
In other words, we will always need governors, and we will need our neighbors to have good governors, as well. It’s in the interests of everyone that there be earthly authorities, and that those earthly authorities exercise their offices faithfully, fully, and well.
A more realistic view
For all that libertarianism looms large in American conservatism today, and for all that rugged individualism has always been a temptation in American politics, our Catholic faith summons us to a more realistic view. After all, the Church is the great defender of the phrase “the common good.” She knows that’s a real, important part of any society. A proper concern for the common good is an obligation for every Catholic, and every citizen.
Further, as the Church and the Bible have long taught us, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more” (Lk 12:48). We have obligations to each other. That includes the obligations of rulers to govern wisely and well, and the obligations of citizens to the society in which we find ourselves.
Among those obligations is prayer.
The True Cross leads the way
There’s been much news coverage of the gift that Pope Francis gave to the new king: a relic of the True Cross, on which Jesus was crucified on Calvary. Two pieces have been inlaid into a silver Welsh cross (Charles was, after all, prince of Wales), which will be carried at the front of the procession into Westminster Abbey.
The papal gift was given without public explanation, but it is laden with symbolism. A portion of one of the most precious relics in all of Christendom may be seen as a profound gesture of ecumenical good will. Or perhaps it is a reminder of Britain’s rich Catholic heritage that shaped a nation’s destiny for a thousand years before the Tudor monarchs’ dastardly deeds, resulting in the persecution, death, and martyrdom of so many Catholics.
Whatever the motive, Catholics can take heart that the True Cross has been given pride of place.
After the coronation, the cross will find a permanent home in Wales. “With a sense of deep joy we embrace this cross, kindly given by King Charles, and containing a relic of the True Cross, generously gifted by the Holy See,” said Archbishop Mark O’Toole of the Archdiocese of Cardiff. “It is not only a sign of the deep Christian roots of our nation but will, I am sure, encourage us all to model our lives on the love given by our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Have mercy on Charles
So as we witness the first coronation of a British monarch in many of our lifetimes, it’s fitting to pray, “God save the King,” even from here, across the Atlantic. It’s fitting to have mercy on King Charles III and invoke the Divine Mercy for him and his people, and for all those across the world whose lives have been touched, for better or for worse (especially Catholics), by the British monarchy.
Let this globally-watched occasion also be an occasion for spiritual works of mercy, for inviting God’s grace into the world at this time of war, plague, and so many challenges. Pray, and change the world for the better. Pray for forgiveness and reconciliation, and seek the salvation of souls.
After all, Jesus told St. Faustina, “Be assured that the grace of eternal salvation for certain souls … depends on your prayer. You know the whole abyss of My mercy, so draw upon it for yourself and especially for poor sinners. Sooner would heaven and earth turn into nothingness than would My mercy not embrace a trusting soul” (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1777).
Our Lady of Walsingham, patroness of England, pray for us!
Photo by Crystal Berdion on Unsplash
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