[A note, and some background: I had a teacher this past year to teach American government. Needless to say, her seeming opinion on monarchy was that it is an inherent evil and incapable of being just or Christian or any of that. So for our year end project, this essay was born, to advocate just the opposite point of view. Without offense intended towards the teacher in question - her class was very informative and helpful aside from that - I shall produce the essay to ye like-minded or at least tolerant buddies. Unfortunately, because it's academic, it's a bit short and a bit less fun than perhaps is par. Enjoy, or enjoy skipping over to wait 'til next post.]
“For forms of government let fools contest; whate’er is best administered is best.”1 Thus does
the great poet, Alexander Pope, declare all governments acceptable if morally kept. For many years,
this has also been the teaching of the Catholic Church2: that there is no one government which is
specially fashioned for mankind, and no governmental form which is infallible. As an American, this
view can be difficult to accept. Many traditional Americans are taught from a young age that the
American form of government, a constitutional republic, is best, and no other form of government
coming before or after can rival it for Christian legitimacy, ethical standard, and a realistic
applicability in the world. It is this essay’s purpose, however, to challenge that notion in favor of
monarchy, a singularly unpopular idea in America. It is my aim to prove that monarchy can be
legitimate, ethical, and even realistic as a governmental form despite common doubts.
Monarchy’s legitimacy as a Christian form of government is often called into question
in recent times despite having a long history of accompanying Christianity. Christendom is no
stranger to kingdoms and empires in its long history, and not all of these institutions
persecuted or were opposed to the Catholic faith. Even when the Roman Empire held the rod
of power in the civilized world –that once great enemy of the Faith – Christian bishops and
leaders told their flocks to obey the government and regard it as legitimate. Consider the
words of Paul to the Romans, even after he has been arrested and scourged by the authorities:
“Let every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God: and those that
are, are ordained of God. Therefore he that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of
God. For princes are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil.”3 Note that Paul makes no
exception for kings or emperors; his statement is unqualified and general, admonishing all
Christians to obey their superiors in all things but sin. Think of Christ’s order to “[r]ender
unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”4 Christ seems
to acknowledge Caesar’s authority, though Caesar was himself an emperor. “And do ye servants
submit yourselves to your masters with reverence and fear, as being the type of God,” reiterates the
Didache, an ancient pillar of Christian teaching.5 Once more, no exception is made for any kind of
master or what form this master uses to govern; in fact, if any governmental form is being promoted,
a sole master is implied in the latter two quotes. Christian teaching appears to urge obedience to the
law and the government, no matter what the form. If monarchy is not made an exception by Paul,
Christ, or the Church Fathers, then what Catholic has a right to make it so?
Monarchy’s history with the Catholic Church is not irrelevant to discussion of its legitimacy.
Many great saints have revered monarchical or even imperial authority at the risk of isolating
themselves from other Christians.6 Beyond this, a multitude of great saints have held the office of
king, emperor, or other sole ruler: saints such as Karl of Austria, Henry II of the Holy Roman Empire,
Louis IX of France, Adelaide of the Holy Roman Empire, Wenceslas I of Bohemia, and many, many
others. The Church proclaims it impossible for a saint’s complete life to promote evil,7 and yet many
of these saints died in their office unashamedly and in the good graces of the Church. It must
necessarily follow, then, that monarchy is not an inherent evil, and is at least capable of constituting a
legitimate Christian governmental form.
If monarchy is a legitimate and acceptable governmental form, the next question
becomes that of its ethical status. Circumstances and times change, and many forms of
government waiver in their justice depending upon how they are administered. The fact that
saints have held kingship allows the possibility of justice, but not all men are saints. Perhaps a
lesser man would fail at keeping an empire just; many have. This is true, however, of every
governmental form since the beginning of time: it takes a good man to be a good ruler. In the
case of a republic or democracy, the only difference is that it takes many good men to be a
good ruler, which is far less easy to accomplish. The difference is made by the law, not by the
number of men squabbling over the throne. In a just civilization, just laws govern the actions
of every man, subject and ruler (or rulers) alike. With a truly just moral code governing the
land, a sovereign, as well as his people, cannot help but be just.
This brings monarchy to its final test – its realistic applicability in the modern world.
Because monarchies are not commonly seen in this time, it is often assumed that they cannot
exist in this time. This is a most erroneous perception; it is like saying because faithful
Catholicism is not commonly seen in this time, it cannot exist therein. Monarchy can, in fact,
work well as a governmental form, and takes a far greater part in the modern world than is
often assumed by republic- or democracy-minded Americans. Consider the structure brought
about in the English monarchy so long ago; the Magna Carta, a governing law brought by the
king’s courtiers, became the justice of the land. English monarchy exists to this day, despite its
weakening by democracy. Many governments cannot survive without the support of a
monarchy or ruling family. Consider many of the Germanic states, where the once-imperial
Habsburg family still has prestige, a pillar stabilizing the central European countries despite
the American attempt to filter them out of society, an effort which plunged Germany and
Austria into humiliation and societal decay. Consider Lichtenstein and Monaco, Catholic
constitutional monarchies which have had peace for decades,8 and enjoy financial and economic
success like few other countries in the world.9 In fact, many countries that began as monarchies were
prosperous and active until attempting to take on a democratic, republican, or dictatorial form of
government, and only then plunged into societal or financial degradation.10
Monarchy, then, can be legitimate, ethical, and realistic in theory and even in the
modern world. Its Christian legitimacy is supported by Church teaching and history. The
justice and ethical standard of a monarchy can be as virtuous as any other governmental form,
and has many saints for its patrons (presidents and prime ministers are notably absent from
the ranks of the Church’s declared saints). The stability and realistic tenability of a monarchy
is proven by many successful examples in the modern world. In short, even the most
American of minds cannot deny the truth of what the poet wrote, that “whate’er is best
administered is best,”11 be it monarchy or republic.
J.M.J.
Sources/Footnotes:
1 Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man, Epistle III, l.303-304.
2 See Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1896, “…There is no solution to the social question apart from the Gospel.” See also Pope Pius XII’s Pentecost Radio Address of June 1, 1941 and Pope Leo XIII’s 1892 encyclical, Au Milieu des Sollicitudes.
3 Romans 13:1-2, Douay-Rheims Translation. All Bible quotes are taken from the Douay-Rheims Translation.
6 Think of St. Ignatius of Antioch, who wrote to his flock telling them not to rebel and break him out of prison, even as he faced being “ground by the teeth of the wild beasts.” (St. Ignatius to the Romans, ch. 4)
7 See CCC, 828: canonization of the saints is there defined as “solemnly proclaiming that they practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God’s grace… proposing the saints to [the faithful] as models…” All of the saints mentioned are fully and officially canonized by the Church except Bl. Karl of Austria, who has only been beatified as of yet.
8 About 100 years and 70 years, respectively.
10 Consider more proverbial examples such as France’s Revolution of 1789, but also modern cases, such as Germany after World War I, or Russia’s regime, which both suffered governmental upheaval after the forcible removal of their monarchs.
11 Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man, Epistle III, l.104.
(Apologies for the formatting and aesthetics issues. The blog, for whatever reason, has recently
decided that is doesn't like me, and will no longer serve me. Posts may be a bit trippy during its
little teenage rebellion before I get things figured out.)
