The coronation of Charles III last month, which drew the attention of much of the world, provides a timely moment to rethink Catholic devotion to Christ the King. Luke 2:7 tells us that Mary laid Jesus in a stable because “there was no room for them in the inn.” How things have changed since for those who are “vicars of Christ.” From the middle of the 8th century through to 1870, popes ruled as sovereign monarchs over much of the central part of Italy, the Papal States. The sartorial elegance of Europe’s kings and emperors was often eclipsed by the monarchical dress of popes from the Middle Ages through to the early 20th century. Remember too, that until 1978, popes were carried around on a ceremonial throne, sedia, by twelve men, all a far cry from the man on a donkey making his way into Jerusalem.

But in 1870, when Italy became a unified nation state, the papacy lost the papal states, and was reduced to a small acreage surrounding St Peter’s Basilica. The pope was now the “prisoner of the Vatican,” a situation that was redressed when the Vatican signed the 1929 Concordant with the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, whereby the Vatican state was formally established.

In 1922, Pope Pius XI, who reigned from 1922-1939, instituted the feast of the Solemnity of Christ the King. What lay behind this decision? Life in Europe in 1922 was not so wonderful. World War I may have been over but its consequences were horrific, and thousands of people were still on the move in Middle Europe, the 1919 influenza epidemic had meant the death of millions, there was a widespread fear of Communism particularly among Catholics. Furthermore, a drift away from the church was becoming more and more apparent, and numbers going to Sunday Mass were dropping. Pius XI believed that a feast that pointed to the superiority of Christ over all earthly rulers, most of whom were not doing a great job, might be a good move. Other major Christian denominations, such as Lutheran and Anglican, also welcomed the idea of a greater awareness of Christ’s kingship over all.

But words such as “king,” “kingdom,” or “kingly” are fraught today. Earlier this year, Pope Francis decided that it was not a good look for him to summer holiday at Castel Gandolfo purchased in 1596, and today a 10 minute helicopter ride from the Vatican. Frances is consciously seeking to rid himself of kingly trappings and privileges, and instead the castle has become a centre dedicated to environmental research. In a January 2023 interview, Francis indicated that,

“Castel Gandolfo was a bit of a court. In June, the court was moving there, as from London you go to Scotland… It’s that kind of court idea. It’s the last absolute court in Europe.” His vision for the papacy, he said, is to “remove all appearance of court and to give it what is really a pastoral service” (National Catholic Reporter, 8 March 2023).

Perhaps all this suggests that we need to re-imagine how the feast of Christ the King might be more appropriately celebrated in today’s world when environmental degradation is accelerating in an extraordinary way as events in Aotearoa New Zealand (and countries round the world) have recently demonstrated.

Part II of this reflection will be published on Wednesday, June 28.