Only Christ is King: War, Peace, and the Heart that Reigns

Transcript of A Shepherd's Voice - June 16, 2025

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

We stand at the edge of a trembling world. The winds of war are gathering once more in the Middle East – tensions rising between Iran and Israel. Gaza is bleeding yet again, and the world is looking on with clenched fists or folded arms.

In the distance, China quietly maneuvers, not only across geopolitical borders, but within the heart of the Church herself. In Nigeria, our brothers and sisters suffer violent persecution. In Europe, confusion reigns – cultural, moral, spiritual. And here at home, the streets echo with protests, some chanting, “No king.”

And yet, as a shepherd of souls, I tell you: There is a King. There is only one. He does not shout. He does not swagger. He reigns from a Cross, and His name is Jesus Christ.

Let us begin with what looms. As of this week, world leaders edge even closer to open conflict in the Middle East. Iran’s aggression, Israel’s retaliation, Gaza’s cries, and the looming question: Will there be war?

The Church has long taught the doctrine of “Just War” – a measured, grave discernment on when war is morally permissible. This doctrine is not convenient. It is not political. It is profoundly Catholic.

Listen to the Catechism:

“The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration” (CCC 2309).

A preemptive war – a war launched not in defense, but in anticipation – is not a just war.

As Pope Saint John Paul II said before the 2003 invasion of Iraq: “War is not always inevitable. It is always a defeat for humanity.” (Address to Diplomatic Corps, Jan 13, 2003)

And Pope Benedict XVI (then-Cardinal Ratzinger), with clarity, warned that: “The concept of a ‘preventative war’ does not appear in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.”

So, while we must pray for peace, we must also speak clearly: a nation does not have the moral right to wage war simply because it suspects it might be attacked.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2309) outlines four strict conditions that must be met simultaneously for a war to be considered just:

First, the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain.

Second, all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective.

Third, there must be serious prospects of success,

And lastly, the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.

Additionally, the authority to declare war must be legitimate, typically a properly constituted government. These principles form the backbone of Catholic just war teaching, rooted in Scripture and developed by saints like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas.

We must measure our support or opposition to global conflict not by flags or alliances, but by the eternal law of God.

As wars loom in the open, another war unfolds behind the veil – a silent struggle within the Church herself.

Under the last pontificate, a secret agreement was made with the Communist government of China, ceding authority over episcopal appointments. Bishops once imprisoned for their fidelity to Rome have been sidelined, while state-appointed puppets take their place.

Let us not be naïve.

The regime that persecutes Catholics, bulldozes churches, imprisons bishops, and rewrites Sacred Scripture has been handed the keys to part of the vineyard.

In allowing the atheist state to oversee the appointment of bishops, the Church has allowed Caesar to enter the sanctuary. We must weep. We must pray. But we must not be silent.

While China’s influence spreads quietly, blood runs openly in places like Nigeria. Dozens of priests murdered. Entire parishes razed. Children abducted. Catechists tortured.

These are not statistics. These are our brothers and sisters. And yet – the world says nothing.

Europe drifts further into apostasy. The faith that once gave rise to cathedrals now bows before the idols of relativism and technocracy. Laws multiply, but virtue fades.

And in America, the political climate churns. Catholics often feel torn.

This administration has supported policies that protect the unborn, and the dignity of life, and for that, we give thanks. And yet alongside all the good, there has arisen a pride – a self-deification of political power. And we hear chants like “No King” – a cry of rebellion.

And let us be clear: no earthly ruler is truly King. No party saves. No flag redeems.

As Pope Pius XI declared in Quas Primas:

“Oh, what happiness would be Ours if all men, individuals, families, and nations, would but let themselves be governed by Christ!”

And

“When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace, and harmony.”

So what are we to do? How do we live when the world unravels?

We hold fast to the words of St. Paul:

“And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

This peace is not worldly comfort. It is not passivity. It is the supernatural stillness of the soul anchored in Christ, even when the storm howls.

St. Teresa of Avila said it best:

“Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things pass away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. They who have God lack nothing. God alone is enough.”

We are not called to be indifferent. We are not called to hide. We are called to watch, to pray, and to speak the truth with the fire of love and the clarity of faith.

So, I speak now to you, shepherd to the flock:

1) Pray for peace. Not the peace of silence or appeasement – but true peace, born of justice.

2) Reject unjust war. Do not be seduced by propaganda. Measure all things by the Gospel, not the news.

3) Stand with the persecuted. Speak their names. Offer Masses for them. Tell their stories.

4) Resist the dragon’s deception. The Church is not China’s to rule; Christ alone is Head.

5) Reject false kings. Whether it’s an emperor in Beijing or a politician in Washington – Christ alone is King.

6) Entrust your heart to Christ. Keep His peace. Guard your soul.

And above all remember: we were born for this time. God chose you in this hour – not for comfort, but for witness.

So take up your Rosary. Kneel before the Eucharist. Speak the Name of Jesus without fear.

Let your life proclaim: No King but Christ.

We are not orphans in the storm. We are the children of the Crucified King. And He reigns – not in theory, not in symbol, but in Truth.

“And He shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth” (Psalm 71:8).

Let us kneel before Him. Let us rise for Him. And let us never forget – His Kingdom shall have no end.

Until next week – stay watchful, stay faithful.

I am your shepherd, and I walk with you.

In Christ the King,

Amen