Originally published in 1819, this influential work of Catholic political philosophy argues that the pope is the necessary and lawful ruler of the Christian world. De Maistre's forceful defense of papal authority and the traditional order of the church challenged contemporary notions of liberalism and democracy, and continues to spark debate on the relationship between religion and politics. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.