our patron :
Christ
the King is a title of Jesus based on
several passages of Scripture. It is used by
most Christians. The Roman Catholic Church,
together with many Protestant denominations,
including the Anglican Churches, Presbyterians,
Lutherans and Methodists, celebrate 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
liturgical calendar had this feast on the last
Sunday of October prior to All Saints Day, where
it is still celebrated in the Extraordinary form
of the Roman Rite. The title "Christ the King"
is also frequently used as a name for churches,
schools, seminaries, hospitals and religious
institutes.
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."
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