The Feast of Christ the King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 in his encyclical Quas primas as a counter response to the growing secularism and secular ultra-nationalism in the world.  As society increasingly leaves God out of man’s thinking and living and organizes the lives of humanity as if God does not exist, this feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Jesus Christ’s royalty and sovereignty over individuals, families, society, governments, and nations.

Pope Pius XI desired to make solemn proclamation of the social dominion of our Lord Jesus Christ over the world. Christ, the King of souls and consciences, of intellects and wills, is also the King of families and cities, peoples and nations. He is King of the whole universe. Pius XI showed that secularism attempts to organize mankind’s social life as if God did not exist and is the direct denial of this Kingship of Christ, leading to the apostasy of the masses and the ruin of society.