The Basilica of Christ the King () is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

parish church located in

Paola, Malta Paola (, , both meaning "New Town") is a town in the Port Region, Malta, Port Region of Malta, with 8,706 inhabitants as of 2019. The town is a commercial centre in the Southern Harbour area of Malta, about from the capital Valletta, contiguous ...

History

The parish of

Paola Paola is a female given name, the Italian form of the name Paula. In Greek it is Polina. Notable people with the name include: People In arts and entertainment * Paola Del Medico (born 1950), Swiss singer *Paola e Chiara, pop music duo consist ...

or as it more commonly known as , was created in 1910 by Archbishop

Pietro Pace Sir Pietro Pace (9 April 1831 – 29 July 1914) was a senior-ranking Maltese prelate who served as the Titular Archbishop of Rhodes and Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Malta, Bishop of Malta from 1889 until his death in 1914. Biography Archbishop ...

. The 17th-century St. Ubaldesca Church was chosen as the parish church. Plans were made for a larger church to be built. In 1924 the cornerstone was laid by the stonemason Vincenzo Costa who lived in Rangu Street in the nearby village of

Luqa Luqa ( , ) is a town located in the Southern Region of Malta, 4.3 km away from the capital Valletta. With a population of 5,945 as of March 2014, it is a small but densely populated settlement which is typical of Malta's older towns and vi ...

, and thus construction commenced. Sometime in the late 1920s or early 1930s, stonework was being done by Manuel and his brother Carmnu Cassar. Photographs exist showing Manuel and Carmnu erecting the arches. The formwork and the hoist to erect the arches are still in the basement of the church. Manuel Cassar was the son of Carmena and Joseph Cassar, also a stonemason and builder who built many houses in Paola. Joseph was from

Tarxien Tarxien ( ) is a town in the Port region of Malta, seat of the Port Regional Council. Its population stood at 8,583 in March 2014. The town is most notable for the Tarxien Temples, a megalithic temple complex which is among the oldest freestan ...

and Carmena from

Mellieħa Mellieħa ( ) is a large village in the Northern Region of Malta. It has a population of 10,087 as of March 2014. Mellieħa is also a tourist resort, popular for its sandy beaches, natural environment, and Popeye Village nearby. Etymology The n ...

. They lived in (Heart of Jesus Street), which was adjacent to the church. The church started to be used as the parish church in 1936. The church was consecrated and dedicated to

Christ the King Christ the King is a title of Jesus in Christianity referring to the idea of the Kingdom of God where Christ is described as being seated at the right hand of God. Many Christian denominations consider the kingly office of Christ to be one o ...

on 3 June 1967 by Archbishop

Mikiel Gonzi Sir#British and Commonwealth honorifics, Sir Michael Papal nobility#Papal counts and countesses, Count Gonzi (born Mikiel / Michele Gonzi: 13 May 1885 – 22 January 1984), was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Malta from 1944 until 1976. He had b ...

."Paola (Raħal Ġdid) (Christ the King)"
''

Archdiocese of Malta The Archdiocese of Malta ( Malti: ''Arċidjoċesi ta' Malta'') is a metropolitan archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Malta. History Tradition claims that St. Paul the Apostle established the diocese of Malta in the year ...

''. Retrieved on 23 June 2017. On 5 April 2020 a decree was signed in the Vatican, by virtue of which the church was raised to the designation of a

minor basilica Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectura ...

. Basílica de Cristo el Rey, Paola, isla de Malta, Malta, 2021-08-25, DD 49.jpg, View from a surrounding street Basílica de Cristo el Rey, Paola, isla de Malta, Malta, 2021-08-25, DD 51.jpg, Entrance Basílica de Cristo el Rey, Paola, isla de Malta, Malta, 2021-08-25, DD 50.jpg, Bell tower Basilica of Christ the King, Paola.jpg, Basilica of Christ the King, Paola Christ the King Church, Paola Affresco.jpg, This affresco painted by Manuel Farrugia depicts God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a stream of water with some sheep drinking from it representing the pilgrim Church drinking from the water of life emanating from the Trinity, St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph, St. Mary, some angels, St. Paul who brought the faith to the Maltese Islands, and an allegorical figure representing the Eucharistic Congress of 1913 when the Paola residents of that time decided to dedicate the Parish to Christ the King instead of St. Ubaldisca as it had been dedicated up to that time.

References

{{Parish churches in Malta and Gozo Paola, Malta National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands Limestone churches in Malta Residential buildings completed in 1936 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Malta

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

History

See also

References