Christ is King!

 

1. Biblical Roots of “Christ is King”

The idea that Christ is King isn’t a medieval invention or a Twitter trend. It’s straight out of Scripture.

a. Jesus and His Kingship in the Gospels

When Jesus stands before Pilate, the question of kingship is explicit:

“So you are a king?”
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37)

The crowds hail Him as “Son of David” and greet Him with royal messianic symbolism on Palm Sunday (Matthew 21:1–9). The sign nailed over His head on the Cross—“Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”—is meant as mockery, but Christians see it as deep truth.

The New Testament titles are clear:

• “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16)

• “He must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25)

The Church didn’t invent Christ’s kingship; it received it from Christ and the apostles.

b. Not Just a “Spiritualized” King

The kingship of Christ is not limited to a private spiritual feeling. Pope Pius XI, quoting Scripture, stresses that Christ’s rule is universal—over persons, families, and societies:

“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.” Vatican+1

So from the beginning, “Christ is King” means more than “Christ is important to me.” It is a claim about reality itself.

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2. The Feast of Christ the King and Catholic Usage

In 1925, Pope Pius XI formally established the Feast of Christ the King (now the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe) in the encyclical Quas primas. He did it in response to rising secularism, nationalism, and the attempt to push Christ out of public life. USCCB+2Wikipedia+2

He wrote:

“It has long been a common custom to give to Christ the metaphorical title of ‘King’… But we wish to proclaim and to defend in no uncertain terms the kingship of Christ.” Vatican+1

The US bishops summarize the feast this way:

It “reminds us that while governments come and go, Christ reigns as King forever.” USCCB+1

This feast is now celebrated worldwide at the end of the liturgical year. Churches, schools, and parishes named “Christ the King” exist all over the world; the first such parish under that explicit title was approved in 1926 in Cincinnati, Ohio, following the new feast. Wikipedia

So for Catholics, “Christ is King” isn’t a fringe slogan. It’s part of the liturgy, the calendar, parish life, hymnody, and daily prayer.

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3. “Christ is King” Through History: Theology and Devotion

Theologically, the kingship of Christ has multiple dimensions:

• Cosmic – Christ as Lord of creation (Colossians 1:15–20)

• Messianic – fulfillment of Israel’s hope for a Davidic king

• Eschatological – Christ reigning at the end of time (Matthew 25; Revelation 11:15)

• Social – Christ’s kingship over cultures, laws, and nations, emphasized in Catholic teaching on the “social kingship of Christ.” The WM Review+1

The Feast of Christ the King and Catholic spirituality insist that no part of life is “off-limits” to Christ. If He really is King, then His teaching has authority over:

• personal morality

• economic and social justice

• relationships and sexuality

• politics, nations, and public life Facebook+1

For me personally, that’s why the phrase is so powerful. When I say “Christ is King,” I’m not just making a doctrinal statement—I’m reminding myself that Jesus has the final word over my conscience, my politics, my fears, and my loyalties.

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4. The Recent Controversy: When “Christ is King” Gets Hijacked

So why is this phrase controversial now?

a. The Candace Owens / Ben Shapiro dispute

In late 2023, political commentator Candace Owens tweeted “Christ is King” during a very public clash with Jewish commentator Ben Shapiro. Many observers—especially in Jewish and media circles—read this as a dog whistle aimed at Jews, given the context of the argument and how some online extremists had already started using the phrase as a taunt. The Jerusalem Post+2RNS+2

From there, the phrase surged on X/Twitter, boosted by figures on the hard right. Reports and analyses have documented how white nationalist and extremist accounts tried to “co-opt” or weaponize “Christ is King” as a slogan against Jews and against liberal democracy. networkcontagion.us+2Philos Project+2

b. Christian and Jewish reactions

Christian thinkers across the spectrum have pushed back strongly against this hijacking:

• Christianity Today ran a piece explaining that while all Christians confess Christ as King, using the phrase as an antisemitic jab is a betrayal of the Gospel and of Christ Himself. Christianity Today

• Catholic apologist Trent Horn devoted a show to the question “Is saying ‘Christ is King’ antisemitic?” arguing that the phrase is good and true in itself, but can be abused when used as a weapon rather than a confession of faith. Catholic Answers

• Evangelical commentators at GotQuestions noted that wielding the phrase as a tool of hatred “is to use Jesus’ name in vain, desecrating a sacred title and dishonoring its true meaning.” GotQuestions.org

Jewish writers have responded, too, highlighting how the phrase’s use as a taunt taps into a long history of Christians using theological claims to justify contempt or violence against Jews. Philos Project+1

c. My take on the controversy

From my perspective as a Catholic, a few things are true at once:

• It is absolutely not antisemitic to say “Christ is King” as a profession of faith. That is basic Christianity.

• It is wrong—and blasphemous—to use that phrase as a sneer, a trolling slogan, or a way of “owning” Jews or anyone else online.

• When people weaponize the name of Christ to score points in ideological battles, they’re not defending the Kingship of Christ; they’re dragging His name into the mud.

I refuse to let extremists own a phrase that belongs to the Gospel and the liturgy. But I also refuse to pretend that context doesn’t matter. How and why you say it matters as much as the words themselves.

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5. Judaism, “Christ is King,” and the New Covenant

Here’s where it gets more sensitive—and where I want to be very clear and very honest.

a. The Catholic Church’s official teaching about Judaism

The Catholic Church has dramatically re-articulated its relationship with Judaism since the Second Vatican Council. In Nostra aetate (1965), the Church declared:

• The Jews must not be presented as “rejected or accursed by God.”

• The Church “decries hatred, persecutions, displays of antisemitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.” Vatican+1

The Catechism says:

“The Old Covenant has never been revoked.” (CCC 121) Catholic Answers

So, officially, the Church rejects the idea that God has simply thrown away the Jewish people or that Judaism is nothing but a cursed, dead religion. The Church insists on two things at once:

1. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets;

2. The Jewish people remain beloved of God “for the sake of their fathers” and are part of God’s mysterious plan. Catholic Answers+1

Recent popes—up to and including Pope Leo XIV—have repeatedly condemned antisemitism and reaffirmed the importance of dialogue with Jews, especially in the shadow of the Holocaust and in the context of rising antisemitism linked to Middle East tensions. AP News+1

b. My personal perspective

Speaking personally as a Catholic:

• I absolutely believe in religious freedom. People must never be coerced into faith. Jews, Muslims, atheists, everyone—human dignity and freedom of conscience are non-negotiable.

• I respect Judaism as the root of Christianity. Jesus, Mary, the apostles—all were Jews. The God I worship is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

• At the same time, I do believe that with the coming of Christ, the New Covenant is now the definitive and final revelation. In that sense, every religion that does not accept Christ—including Judaism—is incomplete, and in a strictly theological sense, no longer the path of fullness of truth.

Sometimes I say bluntly: for me as a Catholic, Judaism—as a religious system that consciously rejects Jesus as Messiah—is now religiously “irrelevant” in light of Christ the King and the New Covenant.

But I also know the Church expresses this more carefully than I just did. The Church insists we cannot treat the Jewish people as cursed or rejected, and there is a real mystery in how God is still at work in the Jewish people and in other religions. Vatican+1

So I hold both:

• Christ is King, the fulfillment of all covenants and religions.

• Jews (and others) are still loved by God, and I am commanded to love, respect, and never despise them.

c. Criticizing Israel vs. Antisemitism

I also think it’s important to say:

• Disagreeing with the government of Israel on political or military policy is not automatically antisemitic.

• Antisemitism is hatred, prejudice, or hostility toward Jews as Jews; criticizing a state’s actions—any state—is a normal part of political and moral discourse.

News coverage and Church statements around Israel and Gaza have tried to hold this tension: condemning antisemitism while still allowing criticism of state policy. RNS+1

So when I say “Christ is King,” I’m not saying “down with Jews” or “down with Israel.” I’m saying that no nation—Israel, the U.S., or any other—has the final claim on my conscience. Only Christ does.

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6. Why I Still Use the Phrase “Christ is King”

Given all the baggage, why keep using it?

a. Because it’s true

First and foremost, because it’s true:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18)
“He is King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:16)

If I let extremists, trolls, or online bigots scare me away from one of the core confessions of Christianity, I’ve allowed them to win a battle they should never have been fighting in the first place.

b. Because the Church teaches it

The Feast of Christ the King, parishes named “Christ the King,” the encyclical Quas primas, the liturgy—Catholicism is soaked in the Kingship of Christ. USCCB+2Vatican News+2

To throw away “Christ is King” because some people misuse it would be like throwing away the Cross because some people have burned it or weaponized it.

c. Because it keeps my priorities straight

On a personal level, “Christ is King” reminds me:

• My ultimate loyalty is not to a party, ideology, government, or ethnic group.

• My identity is not finally “American,” “Italian-American,” or anything else—it’s being a baptized member of the Kingdom of God.

• Even my opinions about Israel, Judaism, or any political issue have to be measured against Christ and His teaching.

d. How I choose to use it

I still say “Christ is King”—but I try to be intentional:

• I won’t use it as a taunt at Jews or anyone else.

• I won’t use it as a code word for some political tribe.

• I use it in prayer, in liturgical context, in the confessional sense that Jesus is Lord of my life and of history.

If someone hears me say “Christ is King” and thinks I’m secretly endorsing antisemitism or extremism, I want my life, my words, and my friendships with people of all backgrounds to prove otherwise.

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7. Conclusion: Who Owns “Christ is King”?

In the end, the phrase “Christ is King” doesn’t belong to Twitter, to pundits, or to extremists. It belongs to the Church, to Scripture, and to the Lord Himself.

• Historically, it’s a biblical confession and a liturgical title.

• Theologically, it proclaims Christ’s universal Lordship and the coming of His Kingdom.

• Spiritually, it’s a call to conversion, humility, and obedience.

• Politically, it relativizes every earthly power—including those we like.

From my Catholic perspective, I can say:

Christ is King—of my heart, of the Church, of history, of every nation, of Jews and Gentiles, of Israel and Palestine, of friends and enemies alike.

If some people weaponize that truth, they will answer to the King Himself.
But I refuse to surrender one of the most beautiful, challenging, and hopeful phrases of the Christian faith because a few loud voices on the internet decided to twist it.

Christ is King.
And that, for me, will never be a slur—it will always be a prayer.