Context: The Confederation Report
Host: Steven R. Martins
Language: English
This is The Confederation Report, a weekly analysis of Canadian news and culture from a Biblical worldview.
Part I: A Historic Address (0:05-5:16)
Canada’s recent Throne Speech by King Charles III powerfully affirmed the nation’s constitutional monarchy, biblical foundations, and enduring sovereignty—highlighting both the Crown’s unifying role and the urgent need to restore civic education amid widespread political and cultural amnesia.
Part II: Canada and Its Covenant (5:19-10:05)
Canada is not merely a “multicultural democracy” but a covenantal nation—heir to the Solemn League and Covenant—that once vowed allegiance to Christ’s Lordship, and though that sacred oath has been forgotten by many, it has never been annulled, and the call to return to God remains.
Part III: The Kingship of Christ (10:08-16:55)
To declare that Jesus is King is not a private act of devotion but a public, covenantal confession with real implications for Canada—a nation historically bound to Christ’s Lordship through the Crown, now drifting in forgetfulness, yet still summoned to return, repent, and live under the reign of the Risen Lord.
Did You Know? (16:09-16:43)
Royal visits to Canada, beginning in 1786, reached a milestone in 1939 with King George VI, as Queen Elizabeth’s personal walkabouts set the tone for future tours that reflect the Crown’s enduring connection with Canadians.
Transcript:
It’s Week 22 of 2025, and this is The Confederation Report, a weekly analysis of Canadian news and culture from a biblical worldview. I’m Steven R. Martins, and each week, we deconstruct the headlines, challenge secular narratives, and apply Scripture to the issues that matter. Because Christ is Lord—over Canada, over culture, over all of life.
Part I: A Historic Address (0:05-5:16)
I’ve had the privilege of visiting our nation’s Parliament buildings in Ottawa on two separate occasions. Both times I was deeply moved by the abundance of Scriptural inscriptions engraved throughout the halls—enduring witnesses to the heritage from which Canada once drew its moral and civic traditions. I suspect many of those verses still remain, though I say this dubiously, given the extensive renovations that have and still are currently underway.
What caught my attention more pointedly on my second visit, however, was the realization—odd as it may sound—that Canada truly does have a King. At the time, of course, it was a Queen. I had always known that Canada belonged to the Commonwealth and paid tribute to the Crown. What I hadn’t fully grasped was that the reigning monarch—then Queen Elizabeth II, now King Charles III—is not simply a foreign dignitary that we respect out of custom, but the actual sovereign of Canada. In the King’s absence, it’s the Governor General that serves as his representative.
Part of my surprise stemmed from the fact that this reality is rarely, if ever, taught in our schools. Most students graduate with only a vague sense of how our parliamentary system functions. Few understand the role of the Senate, the House of Commons, or even the mechanics of an election—let alone the significance of the Crown. It is no surprise, then, that during elections, many Canadians cast ballots for federal party leaders whose names don’t even appear in their riding! Our citizens are not ignorant by choice; they’re simply uninformed, because civic education is woefully lacking.
This brings me to the reason why I mentioned my visits to Parliament. Just recently, Canada witnessed a truly historic hallmark: King Charles III stood before our elected officials and delivered the Throne Speech on Parliament Hill. This was a rare event not seen in nearly half a century. I wasn’t even born when this was last done. It was, in every sense, a visible affirmation of Canada’s constitutional monarchy and of the Crown’s enduring role in our national life. For those who know little of our political structure, it may have seemed merely ceremonial. But for those with even a modest grasp of civics, it was a moment of profound continuity—a declaration that despite political shifts and cultural drift, the Crown still serves as a symbol of unity, stability, and legitimacy.
What did the King say? Well, in his royal address, the King emphasized Canada’s sovereignty, especially in light of rising tensions with the United States and the inflammatory rhetoric from figures like President Donald Trump. Without naming Trump, the speech affirmed that Canada remains strong, free, and independent. More than that, the King framed this turbulent moment in global history not merely as a challenge, but as a profound opportunity—an opportunity for transformation, for renewed trade alliances, and for internal reform, particularly with regard to interprovincial trade and indigenous economic participation.
His speech brimmed with pride for Canada’s potential future growth, acknowledging that the nation has become bold, innovative, and forward-looking. It laid out commitments to housing affordability, tax relief, national defence, and infrastructure—all under the broader canopy of unity and sovereignty. Unfortunately, it also appeared that this King was totally onboard with Canada’s liberal wokeness, but what can we expect in our day and age? Our expectations ought to be tempered.
Nonetheless, this historical hallmark matters. Not just because of what the King said, but because of where he said it—on Canadian soil, in our Parliament, under our flag. It was a reminder that we are not merely a random collection of provinces, but a country rooted in law, history, and covenant. The King’s visit reminded us that even in a secular age, our nation cannot be understood without reference to the very foundations—moral, political, and yes, biblical—that shaped it.
And if our children knew these things—if they were taught to see the deep structures of our governance, the meaning behind our institutions, and the role of the Crown—we might yet raise up citizens who are not only proud of Canada but prepared to steward its future.
Part II: Canada and Its Covenant (5:19-10:05)
Speaking of covenants, Canada is bound by one. Let me explain.
We often speak of Canada as a multicultural democracy, a tolerant and inclusive nation. But long before these modern slogans came into use, this country—as a matter of fact, the whole British commonwealth—stood under far more solemn terms: terms bound not by ideology but by oath. I am referring to the Solemn League and Covenant. I have our friend of the Institute, Dr. Michael Wagner, to thank for his research on this subject, which was published as The Anglosphere’s Broken Covenant.
The Solemn League and Covenant, forged in 1643, was not the brainchild of revolutionaries or secular theorists. It was a sacred vow made by the nations of England, Scotland, and Ireland—yes, entire nations—to bind themselves not merely to one another, but to God. Now, admittedly, the covenant was political, in the sense that it was forged in a time of national crisis. But it was above all spiritual. It was a declaration that these kingdoms would submit their churches, their governance, and their futures to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, to be governed, not by the whims of kings, but by the Word of God.
It was no small matter. The Westminster Assembly—the same body that gave us the Westminster Confession and Catechisms—gathered under the shadow of this covenant. Members of Parliament, ministers, and entire congregations stood with uplifted hands swearing their loyalty to the covenant terms. And lest anyone imagine this to have been a fringe movement, history tells us that vast swaths of the population—nobles and commoners alike—took it with reverence and joy. In Canada today, we rightly take seriously our constitution. But this covenant was the spiritual constitution of the British Isles—and, by extension, of the nations that proceeded from them.
This includes us. When British settlers crossed the Atlantic and planted what would become Canada, they didn’t leave behind their legal traditions, their political institutions, or their language. Nor did they leave behind their covenantal obligations to God. The Solemn League and Covenant was not a local arrangement, nor a temporary pact. It was a national vow, made before the King of kings. And since God was one of the parties to that covenant, only He has the right to dissolve it. He has not done so.
This means that Canada—as a constitutional monarchy formed under the British Crown, and still tethered to it—is heir to that covenant. Our monarchy may have changed in name—from Queen to King—but not in function. Our parliamentary system, our allegiance to the rule of law, and even our national conscience—all of these still echo with the residue of a covenant forgotten but of which has never been annulled. In a profound sense, we are a covenant-breaking people, not because we were never part of the covenant, but because we are its inheritors who have grown willfully ignorant of its claims.
That we are no longer taught this in schools—again, no surprise! That our churches rarely mention it—more tragic still. And yet, history bears witness. The legal structures that uphold our country and the Constitution Act of 1867 presumes our union with the British Crown. And that Crown, in its historic identity, once swore fealty to Christ and His gospel. The preamble to our Constitution even aspires to model itself after the principles of the United Kingdom—a nation bound by covenant to God.
We may look around at the moral confusion of our age and wonder why the foundations are shaking. But can we really be surprised? We have forsaken the Lord. We have broken faith. And yet, if we would return—if as a people we humbled ourselves and repented—there we find mercy. The God who bound Himself to our fathers is faithful still.
Canada is not a blank slate. It is not a post-Christian experiment. It is a nation with a spiritual heritage and a covenantal history, written not only in Parliament’s stones, but in the vows of our spiritual forebears. We may deny it, ignore it, or dismiss it—but we cannot escape it. The covenant still stands. And the call to return remains.
Part III: The Kingship of Christ (10:08-16:55)
Let’s take a look at Scripture to put everything into perspective, particularly the all-encompassing Lordship of Christ.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, what historians and scholars have called a “triumphal entry,” He rode in not only as the long-awaited Son of David, but as the King of kings. The people cried out “Hosanna!”—offering Him the praise due to Israel’s true King. Yet, what many failed to grasp, then as now, is that His kingship was never confined to the boundaries of Judea. He had not come only for the Jews, but for all the nations. First for the Jew, yes, we cannot deny that Scriptural reality, but also for the Gentile. He was the King of heaven come to claim the earth.
And claim it He did—not with armies, but with a cross. Not by overthrowing Caesar or Pilate or Herod, but by rising above them all. Those men, like the rulers of every age, were just men—governors, emperors, kings. All of them entrusted with authority, appointed by God, yet all of them ultimately accountable to the one before whom every knee will bow: Jesus Christ.
This is the reality from which our modern world recoils. In recent months, we’ve seen attempts—especially online and through academic channels—to discredit and silence the simple confession that “Jesus is King.” We’ve been told it’s politically charged, religiously intolerant, even antisemitic. But none of this is new. From the moment Jesus was crucified, the world has tried to erase or soften the power of His claim. The religious authorities didn’t want Pilate to write “The King of the Jews” above the cross—they wanted Him to write, “He claimed to be.”
But no matter the objections, no matter the edits attempted by secularism, pluralism, or authoritarianism, the truth remains: Jesus is King.
He reigns now. In the present. Not in theory. Not as a sentimental religious symbol. But as the Risen Lord, seated at the right hand of the Father, ruling over all creation with power and glory. This is the confession that got early Christians martyred—not because they believed in personal salvation, but because they declared public allegiance to a King above Caesar.
When we declare that “Jesus is King,” we are doing more than offering personal devotion—we are making a public claim about ultimate authority. We are declaring war on every false god of our age—on statism, on materialism, on expressive individualism, on religious relativism, and on any ideology that sets itself up against the knowledge of Christ. To proclaim Christ as King is to renounce the lie of human autonomy, to reject the sovereignty of the state—for it was truthfully meant to be a servant of God in administering justice—and to confess that there is no neutral ground in the universe. Christ lays claim to it all.
This is why, as the Psalmist writes in the second gateway Psalm (Ps. 2), the nations rage. This is why the phrase “Jesus is King” offends. Because it is not a private opinion—it is a sovereign declaration. And the one who wears the crown is not elected, not appointed, and not subject to revision. We need not fear the tyranny of the democratic majority, nor of political elites. His reign is eternal.
It was Abraham Kuyper who rightly declared, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: Mine!” That truth does not only shape our theology—it defines our public life, our politics, our citizenship.
And that brings us back to Canada.
If Christ is King, then Canada is His. Not merely in the general sense that all the earth belongs to the Lord, but in a historically specific, covenantal sense. Canada’s juridical and constitutional roots are inextricably tied to the British Crown—a Crown that once swore allegiance to Christ in the Solemn League and Covenant. When Canada became a Dominion in 1867, it did so under that Crown. And the monarch who still appears on our currency, who still holds the ceremonial reins of our executive authority, stands in that line. The very Constitution of Canada states that we are a nation united “under the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,” with a constitution “similar in principle” to that of the United Kingdom.
That is not meaningless juridical jargon. It is a reminder that we are part of a covenantal legacy—a spiritual inheritance. And while modern Canadians may not have been taught this in school, and may scoff at the idea today, the truth remains: the nations of the Anglosphere are covenant-breaking nations. They swore loyalty to Christ, then cast off His yoke. Even if Canada were to break away from the monarch, which is unlikely—though Quebec has belligerently just done so under Parti Quebecois leader Paul St-Pierre Lamandon—they cannot break away from their covenant with God. It may be that Canada has forgotten. But God has not forgotten.
And so the question before us is not just whether Christ is King in some abstract or spiritual sense—but whether He is your King. Is your life submitted to His Word? Is your family ruled by His law? Is your church walking in obedience to His Lordship? Are your thoughts, your habits, your work, your votes, your dreams—are they brought into submission to Christ the King?
If not, the call is clear: repent and believe. The kingdom of God is not merely near—it’s here. And the day is coming when that kingdom will be revealed in fullness. And on that day, every knee will bow—willingly or unwillingly. Every crown will be cast down. Every earthly throne will be silenced. Death itself will be destroyed, the last enemy to fall. And Christ shall reign forever and ever.
So while we wait for that Day, let us not be idle. Let us proclaim the gospel—not the truncated gospel of personal forgiveness, of some privatized pietism, but the gospel of the Kingdom. Let us preach Christ crucified, risen, ascended, and enthroned. Let us declare, boldly and without apology: Jesus is King. Let us live like it. Let us disciple our nations into it. Let us call men everywhere to repent, to bend the knee, and to believe.
Did You Know? (17:02-18:17)
Canada has hosted members of the royal family since 1786, when the future King William IV first arrived on its shores. But it wasn’t until 1939 that a reigning monarch, King George VI, toured the country—marking a milestone in royal engagement with Canada. These tours, whether for official duties, military service, or vacation, are carefully coordinated by the Canadian secretary to the King. Planning can take over a year, involving the Prime Minister’s Office and the minister of Canadian heritage, with each destination chosen through a rotational system. To prevent political exploitation, tours are deliberately scheduled to avoid overlapping with federal elections.
During the landmark 1939 tour, Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) began what became known as the “royal walkabout”—meeting and speaking with ordinary Canadians face-to-face. Interestingly, this practice wasn’t entirely new; her brother-in-law, Edward VIII, when still Prince of Wales in 1919, had made a habit of informally connecting with Canadians at train stops. From miners and farmers to immigrants and editors, these encounters reflected a uniquely personal approach to royal diplomacy that continues to shape royal tours today.
Closing Words
Thanks for listening to The Confederation Report, this podcast is brought to you by the Cántaro Institute. Visit our website at cantaroinstitute.org for more information. For books to read on worldview, philosophy, and theology, visit our store at cantaroinstitute.store
We’ll meet again next week.
Documentation and Additional Reading
BBC News (Jessica Murphy)
Canada ‘strong and free’ and other takeaways from King’s throne speech
CTV News (The Canadian Press)
Quebec legislature votes unanimously to cut all ties with the monarchy
Michael Wagner, The Anglosphere’s Broken Covenant (Jordan Station, ON.: Cántaro Publications, 2022)