From the desk of the Tar Heel disciple:
November 20, 2025
Through the imagery may sound medieval to some, the Feast of Christ the King, now firmly established in the church's universal calendar, is of relatively modern invention. In fact, this year is the 100th anniversary of its establishment by means of an encyclical, Quas primas
[ https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_11121925_quas-primas.html ], promulgated by Pope Pius XI, on December 11, 1925. In that document, the Holy Father directed that the feast of Christ the King be observed annually, on the last Sunday of October, “which immediately precedes the Feast of All Saints.” He also commanded that the feast be the occasion for the annual renewal of the “dedication of mankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.” [28]
Written in the aftermath of the First World War and of various Communist revolutions, along with subsequent the rise of anticlerical and secular states, Pope Pius XI’s encyclical taught that the kingship of Christ, by its nature, embraces not only the Catholic faithful, but is intended to include all humankind, as individuals as well as various societies and even states, all of whom are ultimately obliged to submit to the rule of Christ the King. The current (1968) Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Christ the King reflects this perspective:
“Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before you. We are yours, and yours we wish to be; but to be more surely united with you, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to your Most Sacred Heart. Many indeed have never known you; many, too, despising your precepts, have rejected you. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to your Sacred Heart. Be King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken you, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned you; grant that they may quickly return to their Father's house, lest they die of wretchedness and hunger. Be King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth and the unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd. Grant, O Lord, to your Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give tranquility of order to all nations; make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: Praise to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honor for ever. Amen.”
[Prayer Source: Enchiridion of Indulgences, June 29, 1968.]
N.B.: A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who piously recite the Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King. A plenary indulgence is granted, if it is recited publicly on the feast of our Lord Jesus Christ King.
The older form (1926) of the consecration was even more explicit, with its specific invocations for “prodigal sons who have abandoned Thee,” “those whom heresy holds in error,” and “those who even now sit in the shadow of idolatry or Islam,” etc. Sadly, neither form of consecration, which is no longer mandated, is currently in much use at most parishes.
In 1969, Pope St. Paul VI moved the observance established in 1925, under the slightly modified title, “Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe,” to the last Sunday in Ordinary Time (i.e., the Sunday prior to the beginning of Advent).
