The feast of Christ the King was established 100 years ago by Pope Pius XI. The feast was instituted in 1925 in response to the growing secularism and turmoil after World War I. Pope Pius XI aimed to combat the darkness by affirming Jesus Christ as the true king. The feast was initially celebrated at the end of October but was later moved to the end of the liturgical year. The encyclical letter Quas Primas, published on December 11, 1925, established the feast.
23 days ago
The feast of Christ the King emerged in the aftermath of World War I, a period marked by global turmoil, economic chaos, and the rise of secular ideologies.1 Nations faced widespread poverty, political instability, and the overthrow of monarchies like the Romanovs, Habsburgs, and Ottomans, creating fertile ground for dictators such as Mussolini, Hitler, and Stalin.2 Pope Pius XI viewed these developments as a rejection of Christ's authority, leading to "manifold evils" in society where Jesus was excluded from public and private life.3
This era also saw increasing atheism and nationalism, with governments restructuring without Christian principles.2 Pius XI's predecessor, Benedict XV, had warned of the need for mutual charity to achieve lasting peace, but pessimism and self-sufficiency prevailed.2 The 1925 Jubilee Year, commemorating the 1,600th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea—which affirmed Christ's divinity—provided an ideal moment to reaffirm his eternal kingship.1 2
Pope Pius XI instituted the feast through his encyclical Quas Primas on December 11, 1925, responding to requests from cardinals, bishops, and the faithful.1 The encyclical aimed to counter secularism by declaring Christ's dominion over individuals, families, and nations, hoping it would hasten society's return to the Savior.1 It was established at the close of the 1925 Holy Year, emphasizing Christ's kingship as a light amid post-war darkness.1
The idea originated earlier, with a 1870 request from Jesuit Father Jean-Marie Sanna-Solaro, though initially rejected.3 French advocate Marthe de Noaillat revived the cause, gathering global support from bishops, religious orders, and the laity, creating a "groundswell of opinion" that convinced Pius XI.3 Over 340 religious leaders endorsed it, distinguishing it from existing feasts like Epiphany.2 Pius XI dedicated his pontificate to "The Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ," tying the feast to broader efforts against tyranny.2
The feast underscores Christ's biblical kingship, rooted in Old Testament promises of a Davidic ruler who fulfills God's covenants, ultimately realized in Jesus.3 New Testament texts portray him as the eternal King whose reign has no end, as affirmed in the Nicene Creed.2 Pius XI highlighted how Christ's kingship demands obedience in laws, justice, and education, warning that ignoring it invites divine retribution.2
Linked to devotion to the Sacred Heart, the feast calls for personal consecration and reparations for atheism.2 It positions Christ not as a flawed earthly monarch but as the perfect embodiment of divine authority, contrasting with the "divine right of kings" or Enlightenment rationalism that led to godless regimes.3 The celebration reminds believers of Christ's rule over hearts, society, and the universe.1
Initially set for the last Sunday of October—near All Saints and before Advent—the feast crowned the mysteries of Christ's life celebrated throughout the year.1 This timing evoked his eternal glory and impending judgment.2 In 1969, Pope Paul VI reformed it, renaming it the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, and moving it to the last Sunday of the liturgical year.2
This shift emphasized Christ's universal reign and connection to his second coming.2 Elevated to the highest liturgical rank—a solemnity—it now precedes Advent, reinforcing themes of hope and judgment.2 These changes enhanced its witness, making it a pivotal close to the Church's year.1
A century later, the feast remains vital amid ongoing secularism, ideological conflicts, and rejection of Gospel light.2 It challenges believers to embody Christ's kingship through integrity, justice, peace, and care for creation, countering modern "strongman" politics untethered from God.3 Experts like Jesuit Father Mark Lewis urge seeing it not as outdated governance but as an aspiration for responsible citizenship and witness to God's reign.3
In today's divided world, it calls for reparations against atheism and promotion of Christ's sovereignty in public life.2 As society grapples with similar upheavals, the solemnity invites renewal of allegiance to Christ, fostering hope for lasting peace.1 3
Christ’s sovereignty counters secularism and totalitarianism
In Catholic teaching, the sovereignty of Jesus Christ as King of the Universe stands as the ultimate authority over all creation, human societies, and individual lives. This kingship, rooted in Christ's divine nature and hypostatic union, asserts that no realm of human existence—personal, familial, or political—falls outside His dominion. Far from being a mere spiritual metaphor, it directly challenges ideologies that exclude God from public life, such as secularism, which relegates faith to the private sphere, and totalitarianism, which elevates the state as an absolute power without reference to divine law. By proclaiming Christ's reign, the Church invites humanity to align civil order with eternal truths of justice, charity, and truth, fostering societies where human dignity flourishes under God's benevolent rule rather than human tyranny.
Christ's sovereignty derives from His identity as the eternal Son of God, who shares the Father's essence and thus possesses absolute dominion over all things. As Pope Leo XIII explains in Annum Sacrum, this empire extends "not only over Catholic nations... but... also all those who are deprived of the Christian faith, so that the whole human race is most truly under the power of Jesus Christ." This is grounded in Scripture, where Christ declares, "All power is given to me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18), affirming a supreme, absolute, and independent empire that demands obedience from heaven and earth alike.
Pope Pius XI, in instituting the Feast of Christ the King through Quas Primas, elaborates that this kingship is not metaphorical but flows from Christ's perfection in intellect and will, reigning "in the hearts of men" through truth and charity. As the incarnate Word, Christ received "power and glory and a kingdom" precisely as man, yet this human kingship is inseparable from His divinity as Creator. St. Thomas Aquinas, referenced in these teachings, clarifies that while not all submit to Christ in the exercise of His power, all things are subject to it by nature. The Catechism of the Catholic Church echoes this, stating that Christ, as head of the Church and principle of creation and redemption, is preeminent in everything, extending His reign over all.
This sovereignty manifests in three essential powers: legislative (through divine law), judicial (as ultimate judge), and executive (rewarding the faithful and punishing evil, especially at the end of time). Pope John Paul II, in his 1997 homily for the feast, reinforces that Christ's kingship is spiritual and universal, transcending political boundaries: "My kingship is not of this world" (John 18:36), yet it calls all to bear witness to the truth. Such authority counters any human claim to autonomy by reminding that true freedom lies in submission to the King who liberates from sin and death.
Secularism, by denying Christ's role in public affairs, erects human reason or state ideology as the sole arbiter of truth, leading to moral relativism and the marginalization of faith. The Church's doctrine on Christ's sovereignty directly opposes this by insisting that societies must acknowledge His lordship to achieve true prosperity. In Quas Primas, Pius XI warns that excluding Christ from civil life invites grave error, as He holds "the most absolute right over created things," including temporal goods, though He refrains from direct interference during His earthly sojourn. Nations and rulers are thus bound to offer "public honor and obedience to Christ," integrating Christian principles into laws, justice, and education.
This teaching arose amid rising secularism post-World War I, when Pius XI established the feast to combat ideologies that banished God from society. As he notes, Christ's reign over minds (by teachings), hearts (by love), and lives (by law) must permeate families, modeled on the Holy Family, and broader society, where the Church perfects civil authority without supplanting it. The Catechism affirms this social duty: Christians must infuse the "Christian spirit into the mentality and mores, laws and structures" of communities, showing forth "the kingship of Christ over all creation and in particular over human societies."
Historical precedents underscore this counter to secularism. Pope Leo XIII's consecration of humanity to the Sacred Heart in 1899 anticipated Quas Primas, dedicating the entire human race to Christ's loving rule amid growing irreligion. Eucharistic Congresses and family devotions further promote this, bringing Christ "in triumph through the streets" to reclaim public space for His kingship. Pope Pius XII, in Summi Pontificatus, highlights how devotion to Christ's Heart counters the "spiritual emptiness" of a technically advanced but godless age, urging renewal through the feast. John Paul II extends this to the Jubilee era, calling the faithful to pray "Thy kingdom come," a plea for God's rule to overcome secular divisions.
In essence, Christ's sovereignty reorients society toward its divine purpose: not self-sufficiency, but harmony with the Creator. As the prophet Daniel foretells, His "dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away" (Daniel 7:14), inviting all peoples to serve Him rather than fleeting human constructs.
Totalitarianism, by absolutizing state power and subordinating individuals to ideological collectives, mirrors the very errors Christ's kingship corrects. It usurps divine prerogatives, treating humans as means to an end rather than ends in themselves under God's law. Catholic teaching posits Christ's sovereignty as the safeguard, subordinating civil authority to eternal moral norms while affirming its legitimate role.
Pius XI in Quas Primas declares it a "basely" erroneous view to deprive Christ of power over civil affairs, for all authority derives from Him: "There is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God" (Romans 13:1). Rulers must advance their nations' fortunes by revering Christ's power, ensuring laws reflect divine commandments. This prevents the state from becoming a totalitarian idol, as Christ's judicial, rewarding, and punishing powers remain supreme, culminating in the Last Judgment where neglected kingship will be avenged.
In Ubi Arcano Dei Consilio, Pius XI describes Christ's reign over society as recognizing "the divine origin and control over all social forces," ennobling obedience to just authority while perfecting it through grace. The Church, as depository of Christ's teachings, guides societies toward their true end—eternal happiness—without abstracting from civil supremacy in temporal matters. Pope Leo XIII reinforces that Christ's power, declared to Pilate ("Thou sayest that I am a king" – John 18:37), binds all, including infidels, under truth and justice exercised through charity.
Against totalitarian overreach, Christ's example is key: Though possessing absolute dominion, He "abstained entirely from exercising such domination" on earth, permitting human possession of temporal goods while directing hearts to heavenly kingdoms. This humility models subsidiarity, where authority serves the common good under God, not crushes it. The Catechism warns that genuine worship of God concerns individuals and societies alike, countering any regime that idolizes the state over the true religion. John Paul II, reflecting on the Cross as the paradox of kingship, notes Christ as conqueror of death and Satan, the "ruler of kings on earth" (Revelation 1:5), who restores human dignity as "first-born from the dead."
Thus, totalitarianism falters because it denies the hypostatic union's foundation: Christ's dominion "not seized by violence... but his by essence and nature." Societies honoring this avoid subjugating persons to the collective, instead promoting justice, love, and peace as fruits of His kingdom.
The feast's placement at the liturgical year's end crowns Christ's mysteries, exhorting the faithful to live as subjects of the Divine King. Sermons and consecrations renew allegiance, as in Miserentissimus Redemptor, where Pius XI links the feast to humanity's dedication to the Sacred Heart, anticipating universal obedience. In an era of resurgent secularism and authoritarian tendencies, this calls believers to witness Christ's truth boldly, infusing public life with Gospel values.
Pope John Paul II's vision ties this to eschatological hope: Christ's kingdom, fulfilled in the Resurrection, gathers all things in Him (Ephesians 1:9-11), urging prayer for its advent amid earthly trials. The Church, through sacraments, makes this reign present, as Christ acts efficaciously in Baptism and Eucharist to extend His grace.
In summary, Christ's sovereignty is no abstract doctrine but a liberating force. It dismantles secularism's isolation of faith and totalitarianism's dehumanizing grasp by affirming God's loving rule over every sphere. As the Catechism teaches, Christ desires all to know this truth (1 Timothy 2:4), proclaiming salvation through His name alone (Acts 4:12). By enthroning Him in hearts and nations, we build societies of true freedom, justice, and peace, echoing the Church's eternal plea: "Thy kingdom come."