Charlie Kirk had dedicated his young life to defending free speech on college campuses, championing Christian principles against the tide of secular ideologies.
Newsroom (11/09/2025, Gaudium Press )On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk — a vibrant, unapologetic voice for conservative values and evangelical Christianity — was gunned down in broad daylight at Utah Valley University. At just 31 years old, this husband to Erika Frantzve and father to a 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son was silenced mid-sentence, answering a student’s question on transgenderism and gun violence. As founder of Turning Point USA, Kirk had dedicated his young life to defending free speech on college campuses, championing Christian principles against the tide of secular ideologies. His death is not merely a political tragedy; it echoes the age-old persecution of those who bear witness to truth in a fallen world.
Charlie Kirk, though an evangelical Protestant, embodied this spirit in his relentless advocacy for life, family, and faith. He was pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, and vehemently opposed to gender ideologies that distort the divine order of creation as outlined in Genesis: “Male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27). His assassination during a campus event—his first stop on the American Comeback Tour—feels like a modern echo of the stoning of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who was killed for proclaiming uncomfortable truths to a hostile crowd (Acts 7). Kirk was not preaching from a pulpit, but from a stage, debating ideas in the public square. Yet, in a society increasingly intolerant of dissent, his words became his cross.
The Price of Free Speech
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition, is a cornerstone of American democracy. It is a secular safeguard that aligns beautifully with Catholic social teaching, which upholds the dignity of the human person and the right to express truth without fear. Pope St. John Paul II, in his encyclical Centesimus Annus, praised democratic systems for allowing “the active and responsible participation of all in public life” (no. 46). Yet, this freedom has limits in the temporal realm: libel and slander, punishable by the state. Spiritually, however, the boundaries are far more profound. Blasphemy and heresy—offenses against God Himself—are not policed by earthly courts but by divine justice. As Catholics, we believe that “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32), but we also recognize that speaking truth often invites hatred from those enslaved by falsehood.
This hatred is not new; it is the perennial fruit of sin. George Orwell’s prescient words ring true here: “The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.” In Kirk’s case, his assassin—who as of writing has yet to be apprehended, and whose motives remain under investigation but appear tied to opposition against Kirk’s pro-gun stance, Christian ethics, and critique of gender ideology—embodies this drift. While not yet linked to state-sponsored extrajudicial killing, the act reeks of ideological vigilantism, a shadow form of the oppression seen in absolutist regimes. Consider China, where the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has crushed dissent under the guise of national security. Jimmy Lai, a devout Catholic and founder of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, languishes in prison for his pro-democracy journalism. Lai’s trial, which has recently concluded with a verdict still pending, is a stark reminder of how regimes intolerant of free speech target those who amplify Christian voices. In Iran and North Korea, similar stories abound.
The global landscape is littered with such examples, often caught in the crossfire of ideological wars. These deaths, while tragic, highlight a pattern: truth-tellers are the first to be silenced in societies unmoored from moral absolutes. This is the work of the “father of lies” (John 8:44), who sows division and violence to obscure the light of Christ.
Kirk’s assassination fits into this grim tapestry, not as a state-orchestrated hit, but as a symptom of cultural decay. In the United States, where free speech should be sacrosanct, we now witness a chilling effect on discourse. Campuses, once bastions of intellectual exchange, have become echo chambers where conservative and Christian voices are shouted down or, in extreme cases, met with violence. Kirk founded Turning Point USA in 2012 at age 18 precisely to combat this: promoting free markets, limited government, and Judeo-Christian values amid rising censorship. His debates with students were legendary, defending the unborn, traditional marriage, and religious liberty. Yet, his killer struck during a discussion on transgenderism—a topic where Catholic teaching is clear. The Church, in documents like the Vatican’s Dignitas Infinita (2024), affirms the infinite dignity of every person while rejecting ideologies that deny the biological reality of sex as a gift from God. Kirk’s evangelical critique aligned with this, making him a target for those who view such views as “hate speech.”
Chilling Consequences
This incident sends shockwaves through Catholic media outlets and journalists. If a high-profile figure like Kirk can be assassinated for his words, what of the countless priests, lay writers, and editors who proclaim the Gospel in an increasingly hostile world? The chilling effect is real: self-censorship creeps in, diluting the prophetic voice of the Church. We recall St. Thomas More, who refused to compromise his faith for King Henry VIII’s whims, declaring, “I die the King’s good servant, but God’s first.” More’s martyrdom reminds us that fidelity to truth may cost us everything, but it gains us eternity. Similarly, Carlo Acutis, the young millennial saint canonized in 2025, used modern media to evangelize, undeterred by cultural pressures. Catholic journalists today—whether at outlets like EWTN, National Catholic Register, Gaudium Press, or independent blogs—must draw from these examples, refusing to let fear muzzle the message of salvation.
This reality was foreseen over a century ago by Robert Hugh Benson in his prophetic novel Lord of the World, praised by Popes Benedict XVI and Francis for its warnings about secular humanism’s assault on faith and freedom. In Benson’s dystopia, a global “humanist” religion replaces all faiths, mandating loyalty to the state, with dissenters labeled as “irrationals” or threats to unity. The novel’s charismatic leader, Felsenburgh, uses advanced technology—like holographic broadcasts—to drown out alternative voices, a chilling parallel to modern cancel culture and social media algorithms that suppress “misinformation.” Kirk’s assassination reflects this ideological monopoly, where disagreement is pathologized as “hate speech,” mirroring Benson’s warning of a world where consensus becomes a tool to silence truth.
Benson also depicts the persecution of religious expression, with the Catholic Church facing pogroms and public worship bombed. Free speech for believers is branded as “sedition,” much like today’s restrictions on pro-life protests or biblical views on gender. Kirk’s outspoken defense of Christian ethics made him a target in this vein, his voice deemed intolerable by those who equate dissent with danger. Furthermore, Lord of the World portrays a society where laws ban “sectarian” symbols and speech, and nationalized media turns journalism into propaganda. Priests and citizens are arrested for private prayers, monitored by surveillance for “thought-crimes.” This resonates with contemporary debates over laws like the UK’s Online Safety Bill or U.S. efforts to regulate “disinformation,” where technological convenience enables control, not liberation, as Benson warned.
Perhaps most strikingly, Benson’s novel highlights the erosion of individual conscience, where citizens are coerced into affirmative acts, like swearing allegiance to the regime, with silence implying guilt. This mirrors modern pressures like pronoun mandates or DEI oaths, where neutrality is not tolerated. Kirk’s refusal to conform to secular ideologies on gender and life echoes Benson’s vision of defiant worship in the face of tyranny. His death underscores the cost of protecting the “offensive” word, which, as Benson argues, is essential to safeguarding all speech.
Reflecting on a meeting our team had a decade ago with Thomas Cardinal Collins of Toronto, Canada, the cardinal’s words ring true: we are in an age where those opposed to Christian values believe they are doing the Lord’s work by enacting anti-Christian laws and spreading hostile rhetoric through media. Collins insisted that Catholic primary education must steer students toward careers in media and law to counter this trend. Kirk’s assassination validates this urgency, showing how secular forces seek to silence voices like his, which aligned with Christian truth. Catholic journalists and lawyers must rise to this challenge, using their platforms to defend the faith and freedom Benson foresaw under threat.
The End Game
Yet, as Catholics, our response cannot be mere outrage or retreat. We are called to forgiveness, prayer, and action. Pray for Kirk’s soul, his grieving family, and even his assassin, as Christ commanded: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44). Advocate for robust protections of free speech, recognizing that democracy flourishes only when truth can be spoken without fear. And, crucially, recommit to evangelization in the digital age, where social media amplifies both truth and lies. Pope Francis, in Fratelli Tutti, warns against a “culture of walls” that stifles encounter (no. 27). Kirk’s death is a wall erected by hatred; we must tear it down with charity and courage.
In conclusion, Charlie Kirk’s assassination is a wake-up call for all who cherish truth. It is a modern martyrdom for journalism, if not for Christ per se, a testament to the cost of discipleship in a post-Christian era. As we grieve, let us remember the words of St. Paul: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith” (Rom. 1:16). Kirk was not ashamed; neither should we be. In his memory, may we speak boldly, love fiercely, and trust in the God who turns even the darkest tragedies into seeds of resurrection. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.
- Raju Hasmukh
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