Should We Drop the feast of 'Christ the King'?

 

November 24, 2024

Today’s feast of Christ, the King of the Universe is a relatively new feast, as it was instituted by Pope Pius XI only a hundred years ago, in 1925.  In the same encyclical (Quas Primas) that established this feast, the Pope acknowledges that various Church feasts have been introduced into the liturgical year, because of a particular ‘current’ need.  Thus, he points out that “when reverence and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament had grown cold, the feast of Corpus Christi was instituted” and when many felt “oppressed by the sad and gloomy severity of Jansenism (in which there was too great a focus on severe moral rules) which had made their hearts grow cold, and shut them out from the love of God and the hope of salvation” the Church introduced the “the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” which focussed on the love of Jesus for all.

So the question that could be asked is why was this feast of Christ the King established.  It is suggested by a large number of authors that this feast was instituted in the aftermath of the first World War (which ended in 1918), the first time in the history of our world, when,  on such a large scale, so many nations in many parts of the world went into battle against neighbouring nations to establish their own dominance, their own territories, - and the world seemed on the brink of splintering into ever mutually hostile forces. And in this rise of national loyalties, there was also an undercurrent of anti-Church sentiment, a Church which had for long played an active role in influencing/interfering/ controlling the actions of national rulers.

In the light of this division among nations,  the feast of Christ the King was established in order to bring to people’s attention that “the empire of our Redeemer embraces all men”  - so that we as a human family, who all belong to this supra-national empire, are called to live in peace with each other.

Many took this reference to a supra-national empire to mean a kingdom that was ‘beyond the clouds’ in a place called Heaven where everyone would  go to, after death.  This interpretation seemed to flow directly out of Jesus’ response to Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”. (John 18:36) But if this passage is read with all the rest of Jesus’ references to the kingdom of heaven in his teaching, it would seem that such a  'kingdom in the sky' is NOT what Jesus was referring to.  So, for instance, we find the following passage in Luke’s Gospel: Some of the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the kingdom of God come?” Jesus answered, “God’s kingdom is coming, but not in a way that you will be able to see with your eyes.  People will not say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ because God’s kingdom is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21). And this teaching on the interiority of this Kingdom of Jesus is repeated many times in the Gospels.   Throughout his mission, Jesus attempts to teach his disciples and those who followed him, that the kingdom of heaven is in our hearts - and that is where it has to take root.

So the idea of the feast was to remind the world that there is a kingdom which has laws that transcend national laws, and that we as human beings are always subject to this eternal law. And moreover,  our primary identity as human beings takes precedence even over our national identities. Many authors seem to suggest that this contributed significantly to the development of Human Rights, as Rights that transcend all national laws and all cultures, and to which even the rulers of all countries are accountable.

So the Feast of Christ the King may have had a very fortunate outcome, but despite that  I would say, that for us today, the choice of the name, Christ the King, is extremely unfortunate.  Because however much we may want to think differently, we cannot seem to disassociate ‘kingship’ from notions of power and glory and the giving of blind obedience to those in power. And yet for Jesus, this is not what Kingship means, for we know what he tells his disciples after he has washed their feet: You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. (John 13:13-14).

The fact is that today we live in a world which is so enamoured by power and prestige. In such a world, perhaps we need to be reminded of Jesus’ notion that power brings with it the  responsibility to serve, and not to control. And so if, as the Pope said when he introduced the Feast of Christ the King, some feasts are introduced because of a current need in the world, and since we cannot rid ourselves of this power wielding understanding of Kingship, perhaps we should rename today’s feast as the Feast of Christ the Servant of the Universe. 

First Reading: Daniel 7: 13-14

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Second Reading: Revelation 1: 5-8

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

“Look, he is coming with the clouds,”
    and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”;
    and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”
So shall it be! Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

 

Gospel: John 18: 33b-37

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”