The center of the Ghent Altarpiece (Van Eyck, c 1425)
Today is the Feast of Christ the King in the ordinary form. In the extraordinary form, The Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ, was celebrated on the last Sunday in October.
It was in 1925 that Pope Pius XI gave to the Church, Quas Primas, the Encyclical on the Feast of Christ the King. I have not had a chance to read this entire document, but something did catch my eye that I would like to share:
25. Moreover, the annual and universal celebration of the feast of the Kingship of Christ will draw attention to the evils which anticlericalism has brought upon society in drawing men away from Christ, and will also do much to remedy them. While nations insult the beloved name of our Redeemer by suppressing all mention of it in their conferences and parliaments, we must all the more loudly proclaim his kingly dignity and power, all the more universally affirm his rights.What was written in 1925 still applies today. The kingdom is not of this world, nor should we conform ourselves to secularism and humanism which has permeated all facets of society. As members of the Church succumb to these ideologies, the Mystical Body suffers much like the human body when infection exists in one small area.
Here are some related links, not necessarily from this year:
- WDTPRS: Solemnity of Christ the King - Last Sunday of the (Fr. Z)
- Christ, King of the Universe (Fr. John A. Hardon)
- The Papal Triple Crown and the Jewish High Priest's Miter (Michael Barber - 2007)
As an aside, Fr. Z has an interesting note about another event: This day in ancient history
The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!