Can a King or Queen Be a Saint?

In St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says, “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?”  (16:26).   Throughout human history there are those who strive relentlessly for political power, riches and fame without regard for the harm that doing so causes to others and to their own very souls.  

 
One of the defining aspects of human existence has been the establishment and operation of systems of governance and political power.  For most of human history, such power and governance has been exercised through royal or monarchical institutions. In the span of time, representative democracy is a relatively recent innovation, though modern democracy has antecedents in ancient Greece and the Roman Republic.  Monarchical institutions invest power in individuals such as kings, queens, emperors, empresses, czars, tsars, princes, princesses and a host of other royal titles.   Even in our democracy, royalty is a component of our culture.  Persons who achieve remarkable success are often referred to as ‘King’ or ‘Queen.’ Though our country revolted against the British monarchy and won our independence, a lot of Americans are still fascinated with the British monarchy.   Where would Disney and their efforts to separate parents from their money be without princesses, castles and the trappings of royalty?  It is hard to imagine Disney World without Cinderella’s castle.

 
With royal power comes a significant danger of that power being used to oppress.  This was a major concern of God when the ancient Israelites demanded that God grant them a king.  The prophet Samuel warned them: “If instead you continue to do evil, both you and your king shall be swept away” (1 Samuel 12:25).  At the people’s insistence, God made Saul their first king.  At first, King Saul was a good and just king but in time, power corrupted him and he was killed in battle.  See the 1st Book of Samuel.  

 
Throughout human history, there have been numerous individuals who have used monarchy and royal status to exploit and oppress their subjects.  These include a host of Roman Emperors such as Nero and Claudius, King Henry VIII of England, King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and Ivan the Terrible of Russia.

 
There have also been some members of royalty who lived the Gospel and actually used their royal power for the betterment of their subjects.  In my previous post, I described the last Habsburg emperor, Karl (Charles) I.   He lived a devout Catholic life and was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 2004.   Saint Louis IX of France (1214-1270) was a devout Catholic and a benevolent ruler who did much to help the poor.  Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, California is named for him.  St. Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231) was a Hungarian princess who spurned the trappings of royalty and lived a life of asceticism, penance and service to the poor.  St. Alfred the Great (848-899) was King of Wessex.  He was a reformer, promoter of education and defender of England against Danish invaders.  St. Helena (246-340) was the mother of the Emperor Constantine who legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire.   A devout Christian, she undertook a pilgrimage to Palestine and identified numerous sights and relics associated with Jesus’s life on Earth.  These examples show that sainthood is attainable for those who exercise royal authority if they exercise that authority with faith, compassion and charity.

 
There is one last important aspect of royalty that we need not forget.  Like all trappings of this world, royalty does not transfer to the next world.  Earthly kings and queens and emperors stop being kings and queens and emperors when they breathe their last breath.  The old adage goes “you can’t take it with you” and that certainly applies to crowns and thrones.