Christ the King

This article is about the title of Jesus. For other uses, see Christ the King (disambiguation).

Christ the King, a detail from the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck.

Christ the King is a title of Jesus based on several passages of Scripture and, in general, used by all Christians. Many denominations I like apples , including Catholics, Anglicans, Presbyterians, and some Lutherans and Methodists, celebrate, in honour of Christ under this title, the Feast of Christ the King on the last Sunday of the liturgical year, before a new year begins with the First Sunday of Advent (the earliest date of which is 27 November). The Feast of Christ the King is thus on the Sunday that falls between 20 and 26 November, inclusive. (Originally, the Catholic calendar of pre-Vatican II had this feast on the last Sunday of October prior to All Saints Day.) The title "Christ the King" is also frequently used as a name for churches, schools, seminaries and hospitals.

Origins

The name is found in various forms in scripture: King Eternal (1 Timothy 1:17), King of Israel (John 1:49), King of the Jews (Mt. 27:11), King of kings (1 Tim 6:15; Rev. 19:16), King of the Ages (Book of Revelation 15:3) and Ruler of the Kings of the Earth (Rev. 1:5).

Insigna of the Vendean insurgents who fought against suppression of the Church in the French Revolution. Note the French words 'Dieu Le Roi' beneath the heart-and-cross, meaning 'God (is) the king'.

The ideological movement of Christ's Kingship was addressed in the encyclical Quas Primas of Pope Pius XI, published in 1925, which has been called "possibly one of the most misunderstood and ignored encyclicals of all time." The Pontiff's encyclical quotes with approval Cyril of Alexandria, noting that Jesus' Kingship is not obtained by violence: "'Christ,' he says, 'has dominion over all creatures, a dominion not seized by violence nor usurped, but his by essence and by nature.'" Pope Pius XI instituted the feast of Christ the King in 1925 to remind Christians that their allegiance was to their spiritual ruler in heaven as opposed to earthly supremacy, which was claimed by Benito Mussolini.

Pope Benedict XVI has remarked that Christ's Kingship is not based on "human power" but on loving and serving others. The perfect exemplar of that acceptance, he pointed out, is the Virgin Mary. Her humble and unconditional acceptance of God's will in her life, the Pope noted, was the reason that "God exalted her over all other creatures, and Christ crowned her Queen of heaven and earth."

Schools and churches

Many Catholic schools and churches have taken this name, as shown here:

• Christ the King School, Nashville, TN
• Christ the King Catholic Secondary School, Georgetown, Ontario, Canada.
• Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta, GA
• Christ the King Catholic Church and School, Hollywood, CA
• Christ The King Catholic Primary School, Blackpool
• Christ the King Catholic Secondary School, Nottingham, England
• Christ the King Catholic High School, Southport, UK
• Christ the King Catholic School and Church, North Rocks, Australia
• Christ the King, Dallas, TX
• Christ the King School, Chicago, IL
• Christ the King Catholic Church, Kansas City, MO
• Christ the King Catholic Church, Cedar City, UT
• Christ the King Catholic Church and School, Des Moines, IA
• Rīgas Kristus Karaļa draudzes baznīca (Riga's Christ the King's parish Church), Riga, Latvia

Stained glass window at the Annunciation Melkite Catholic Cathedral in Roslindale, Massachusetts depicting Christ the King in the regalia of a Byzantine emperor

• Christ the King Catholic Church and Primary School, Burmside, Christchurch, New Zealand
• Christ the King Regional High School in Commack, New York
• Christ the King Catholic School in Philadelphia, PA
• Christ the King Reformed Episcopal Church, Pasadena, MD
• Christ the King Roman Catholic Church, Manville, NJ

Other Christian churches' buildings also sometimes use this dedication, such as:

• the Church of Christ the King, Bloomsbury, London, England
• Christ the King Parish Church, Paola, Malta
• Christ the King Christian School, Lubbock, TX
• Christus Rex Lutheran Campus Center, Grand Forks, ND

See also

• The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are theological concepts interpreted variously.
• Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews is the inscription which the gospels report was placed on the cross by the Romans (indicating a misguided sentence of revolutionary sedition) and which is found on many crucifixes.
• The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the solemnity of Feast of Christ the King on a Sunday of November. Paola, Malta celebrates it on the third Sunday of July.
• Cristo Rey, the Spanish translation used for several placenames.

External links

• QUAS PRIMAS: Encyclical on the Feast of Christ the King His Holiness Pope Pius XI, December 11, 1925