Christ the King is a
title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
of
Jesus in Christianity
Jesus is called the Son of God in the Bible's New Testament, and in mainstream Christian denominations he is God the Son, the second Person in the Trinity. He is believed to be the Jewish messiah (the Christ) who is prophesied in the Hebrew Bi ...
referring to the idea of the
Kingdom of God where the
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
is described as
seated at the
right hand of God
The right hand of God (''Dextera Domini'' "right hand of the Lord" in Latin) or God's right hand may refer to the Bible and common speech as a metaphor for the omnipotence of God and as a motif in art.
In the Bible, to be at the right side "is ...
.
Many Christian denominations consider the kingly office of Christ to be one of the
threefold office
The threefold office ( la, munus triplex) of Jesus Christ is a Christian doctrine based upon the teachings of the Old Testament of which Christians hold different views. It was described by Eusebius and more fully developed by John Calvin.
The ...
s: Christ is a prophet, priest, and king.
[''The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature''. James Strong and John McClintock; Harper and Brothers; NY; 1880]
/ref>
The title "Christ the King" is also frequently used as a name for churches, schools, seminaries, hospitals, and religious institutes.
According to a tradition followed most prominently by the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
is given the title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
of Queen of Heaven
Queen of Heaven ( la, Regina Caeli) is a title given to the Virgin Mary, by Christians mainly of the Catholic Church and, to a lesser extent, in Anglicanism, Lutheranism, and Eastern Orthodoxy.
The Catholic teaching on this subject is express ...
.
Biblical basis
In the Gospel of Luke
The Gospel of Luke), or simply Luke (which is also its most common form of abbreviation). tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Together with the Acts of the Apostles, it makes up a two-vol ...
, the angel Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር ...
proclaims to Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
, "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."[Hodge, Archibald Alexander, "The Kingly Office of Christ", ''Popular Lectures of Theological Themes'', Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath-School Work, 1887, p. 260]
/ref>
Outside of the gospels, the First Epistle to Timothy
The First Epistle to Timothy is one of three letters in the New Testament of the Bible often grouped together as the pastoral epistles, along with Second Timothy and Titus. The letter, traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul, consists ma ...
(6:14–15) explicitly applies the phrase of " king of kings and lord of lords" (Βασιλεὺς βασιλέων καὶ κύριος κυρίων), adapting the Pentateuch's declaration, ''for the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords'', to Jesus Christ. In the Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of ...
it is declared that the Lamb
Lamb or The Lamb may refer to:
* A young sheep
* Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep
Arts and media Film, television, and theatre
* ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut
* ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...
is "King of kings, and Lord of lords".[
]
Background
The concept of Christ as king was the subject of an address given by Eusebius
Eusebius of Caesarea (; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος ; 260/265 – 30 May 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilus (from the grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος τοῦ Παμφίλου), was a Greek historian of Christianity, exegete, and Chris ...
about AD 314. Depictions of the imperial Christ arise in the later part of the fourth century.
Pius XI
''Ubi arcano Dei consilio''
Pope Pius XI's first encyclical was ''Ubi arcano Dei consilio
''Ubi arcano Dei consilio'' ( en, When in the inscrutable designs of God) was Pius XI's first encyclical. Promulgated 23 December 1922, it is subtitled "On the Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ".
Context
Pius XI was elected to the papacy o ...
'' of December 1922. Writing in the aftermath of World War I, Pius noted that while there had been a cessation of hostilities, there was no true peace. He deplored the rise of class divisions and unbridled nationalism, and held that true peace can only be found under the Kingship of Christ as "Prince of Peace". "For Jesus Christ reigns over the minds of individuals by his teachings, in their hearts by His love, in each one's life by the living according to His law and the imitating of His example."[Pope Pius XI. "Ubi Arcano Dei Consilio", 23 December 1922]
/ref>
''Quas primas''
Christ's kingship was addressed again in the encyclical ''Quas primas
(from Latin: "In the first") was an encyclical of Pope Pius XI. Promulgated on December 11, 1925, it introduced the Feast of Christ the King.
Purpose and content
''Quas primas'' followed Pius's initial encyclical, '' Ubi arcano Dei consilio'' ...
'' of Pope Pius XI, published in 1925. Michael D. Greaney called it "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's kingship was given to him by the Father, and was 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.'" He also referenced Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-ol ...
's 1899 Annum sacrum
''Annum sacrum'' (meaning Holy Year) is an encyclical by Pope Leo XIII on the consecration of the entire world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was delivered in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome on the 25th day of May, 1899, the twenty-second year o ...
wherein Leo relates the Kingship of Christ to devotion to his Sacred Heart.[O'Donnell, Timothy Terrance. ''Heart of the Redeemer'', Ignatius Press, 1992]
Early Propagation
In November 1926, the Pontiff gave his assent to the establishment of the first church dedicated to Christ under the title of ''King''. The Church of Our Lord, Christ the King, a promising young parish in the neighborhood of Mount Lookout, Cincinnati
Mount Lookout, Ohio is one of the Eastern neighborhoods of Cincinnati, just northwest of Linwood and overlooking the Ohio River valley.
The Mount Lookout Observatory moved to the neighborhood in 1873. The population was 4,814 at the 2010 cen ...
, which had previously been operating out of a pharmacy located in the neighborhood square, soon began to flourish. In May 1927, a proper sanctuary and neighborhood icon was consecrated. Designed by famed church architect Edward J. Schulte, the building exemplifies the designer's signature marriage of art deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
decoration in Brutalist construction, principally arranged to mimic Ancient liturgical spaces of early Christianity.
The hymn "To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King", was written by Msgr. Martin B. Hellrigel in 1941 to the tune "Ich Glaub An Gott"."To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King"
Hymnary.org
Feast of Christ the King
The Feast of Christ the King
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, commonly referred to as the Feast of Christ the King, Christ the King Sunday or Reign of Christ Sunday, is a feast in the liturgical year which emphasises the true Christ the King, kin ...
was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925. The General Roman Calendar of 1969
1969 edition of the General Roman Calendar was promulgated on 1 January 1970 by Paul VI's ''Mysterii Paschalis''. It is the current version of the General Roman Calendar.
Selection of saints included
While canonization involves the addition of ...
moved its observance in the Roman Rite to the last Sunday of Ordinary Time
Ordinary Time ( la, Tempus per annum) is the part of the liturgical year in the liturgy of the Roman Rite, which falls outside the two great seasons of Christmastide and Eastertide, or their respective preparatory seasons of Advent and Lent. O ...
, the final Sunday of the liturgical year. Most Anglicans
Anglicanism is a Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia ...
, Lutherans
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...
and some Protestants celebrate it on the same day. However, Catholics who observe the pre-Vatican II
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...
General Roman Calendar of 1960
This article lists the feast days of the General Roman Calendar as approved on 25 July 1960 by Pope John XXIII's ''motu proprio'' '' Rubricarum instructum'' and promulgated by the Sacred Congregation of Rites the following day, 26 July 1960, by t ...
, and members of the Anglican Catholic Church
The Anglican Catholic Church (ACC), also known as the Anglican Catholic Church (Original Province), is a body of Christians in the continuing Anglican movement, which is separate from the Anglican Communion led by the Archbishop of Canterbur ...
celebrate it instead on the last Sunday of October, the Sunday before All Saints' Day
All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are kn ...
, the day assigned in 1925.
Things named after Christ the King
See also
* Jesus is Lord
"Jesus is Lord" (Greek: κύριος Ἰησοῦς, ''kyrios Iesous'') is the shortest credal affirmation found in the New Testament, one of several slightly more elaborate variations. It serves as a statement of faith for the majority of Chri ...
* Christ Pantocrator
In Christian iconography, Christ Pantocrator ( grc-gre, Χριστὸς Παντοκράτωρ) is a specific depiction of Christ. ''Pantocrator'' or ''Pantokrator'', literally ''ruler of all'', but usually translated as "Almighty" or "all-po ...
—a specific depiction of Christ, especially in Orthodox Christianity
Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion.
Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Chur ...
* '' Cristo Rei'', the Portuguese translation used for several place names
* '' Cristo Rey'', the Spanish translation used for several place names
**, theocratic slogan
* Feast of Christ the King
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, commonly referred to as the Feast of Christ the King, Christ the King Sunday or Reign of Christ Sunday, is a feast in the liturgical year which emphasises the true Christ the King, kin ...
* The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are theological concepts interpreted variously
* Kingly office of Christ, one of the Threefold office
The threefold office ( la, munus triplex) of Jesus Christ is a Christian doctrine based upon the teachings of the Old Testament of which Christians hold different views. It was described by Eusebius and more fully developed by John Calvin.
The ...
s
* Cornelius Lucey
Cornelius "Con" Lucey (1902–1982) was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork and Ross.
Youth and education
Cornelius Lucey was born 15 July 1902 into a farming family at Windsor, Ovens, County Cork near Cork City. He attended Ballinora Primary School ...
, Christus Rex Society, 1941
* Peter McKevitt, Christus Rex Society, 1941
* Ubi arcano Dei consilio
''Ubi arcano Dei consilio'' ( en, When in the inscrutable designs of God) was Pius XI's first encyclical. Promulgated 23 December 1922, it is subtitled "On the Peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ".
Context
Pius XI was elected to the papacy o ...
* Throne of God
The Throne of God is the reigning centre of God in the Abrahamic religions: primarily Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The throne is said by various holy books to reside beyond the Seventh Heaven which is called ''Araboth'' ( ''‘ărāḇō ...
* Symbolism of domes
References
External links
* {{Cite web , title=Quas Primas - Encyclical on the Feast of Christ the King , author=His Holiness Pope Pius XI , website=New Advent: CATHOLIC LIBRARY , date=December 11, 1925 , url= https://www.newadvent.org/library/docs_pi11qp.htm
Christian terminology
Christology