THE Catholic Church once again ends its liturgical year with the celebration of Christ the King. I devote this reflection on the celebration with the hope that we increase our religious literacy.
Although basically Christ the King is a religious feast, it has had a political background. In 1925 the Church celebrated the 1600th Jubilee of the Council of Nicaea. The said council was convoked in 325 AD in order to affirm the divinity of Jesus as opposed to what was taught otherwise by the Arians. Near then end of the Jubilee Year, Pope Pius XI declared through the encyclical Quas Primas that the universal church would celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King.
That was more or less four decades before Vatican II. The Catholic Church then viewed its stature in society from a triumphalist perspective. It was challenged by unstable political conditions and threatened by waning allegiances. Its erstwhile political power was gradually decreasing. Yet it was a church that understood itself as a perfect society essentially distinguished from the secular world. Precisely, the mandate of Pius XI to "officially" celebrate Christ the King was partly a re-assertion of the Church’s moral authority in the socio-political sphere. Packaged in theological language, the declaration of the solemnity of Christ the King was a call for Catholics to remain loyal to their Church.
For some time the "Roman Question" in Italy haunted the pope and the church. Under threat was the independence of Rome, i.e. the Vatican from the sovereignty of Italy under the Italian Government. Pius XI in Quas Primas spoke of fighting "anti-clericalism" which at that time was caused by the increasing "secularism" due to nationalist ideologies specifically in Europe. The Pope's discourse was apparently Monarchist. For example, he highlighted the people's duty to the "Empire of Christ.” In the very words of the encyclical in paragraph 25:
"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.”
The Lateran Treaty was signed in 1929. It acknowledged the sovereignty of The Holy See whose territory is the Vatican City as well as the extraterritoriality of what were left of the Papal States (i.e. the Basilica of John Lateran and the pope's summer residence Castel Gandolfo). After Vatican II, then Pope Paul VI in 1969 transferred the celebration to the last Sunday of the Church's cycle. Gradually the celebration has been purified from its political message.
Over 90 years after Pius XI's declaration, the Philippines would be confronted with an experience similar to that of the Roman question. Not exactly the same but in a way the situation puts into question a Christian’s loyalty to Christ. Can a truly devout Catholic claim to follow Christ while at the same time support a president who mocks God and promotes violence? How can we even dare to ask for God’s kingdom to come if our allegiance is given to someone else?
I am not really sure how many Catholics remember more so know the history of the solemnity of Christ the King. This brings to mind what Stephen Prothero, author of the book Religious Literacy said: "many of our devout individuals are themselves not literate of their own traditions." Beyond religious literacy, however, is the conviction to walk by faith that does justice.