Pope Pius XI establishes Feast of Christ the King

Pope Pius XI established the Feast of Christ the King through the encyclical Quas Primas, which was announced on December 11, 1925.

The Pope instituted the feast to address rising anti-clerical sentiments and atheist propaganda against the Catholic Church and God. The liturgical celebration focuses on the person of Jesus Christ as the King of glory, who holds authority over the universe by his divinity and as a descendant of a royal dynasty by his human nature.

According to the encyclical, Christ holds kingship because he is the Lord of the entire universe, because he redeemed humanity through his life, and because he possesses legislative, judicial, and executive power. The feast is a relatively new addition to the liturgical calendars of various rites.