THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING
The Church celebrates the Feast of Christ the King, also called the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, on the last Sunday of the Liturgical year.
The Feast was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 with his encyclical Quas primas, to respond to a world that was rejecting Christ and was being dominated by secularism.
Pope Pius hoped that the establishment of this feast would bring about the following:
That this annual celebration would assist the faithful to gain strength in their true King, Jesus Christ;
That leaders and nations would recognise that they are bound to submit and give respect to Christ the King;
That nations would see that the Church has the right to freedom, and immunity from the state. In these times when we are challenged in our faith and our ability to worship together, let us remember that Jesus Christ is Our King who reigns forever.
That individuals should honour and recognise Jesus as their ‘Sovereign King’ and emulate his total gift of self, perfectly embodied on the Cross. In imitation of their thorn-crowned King, individuals can help bring love and relief to those who suffer and help to proclaim the Good News of the Reign of Christ in the world today.