Feast of Christ the King

Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Painting of Christ in Majesty from the Ghent Altarpiece by Hubert and Jan van Eyck (AD 1427)
Observed byCatholic Church
Lutheranism
Anglican Communion[1]
Methodist churches
Moravian Church
Church of the Nazarene
Reformed churches
Western Rite Orthodoxy[2]
Other Christian denominations
Liturgical colorWhite
ObservancesChurch services
Eucharistic adoration for a full day
DateLast Sunday of the liturgical year; from 20–26 November, inclusive (in Ordinary Form),[3] or final Sunday of October (in Extraordinary Form)
2023 date
  • 26 November (ordinary form)
  • 29 October (extraordinary form)
2024 date
  • 24 November (ordinary form)
  • 27 October (extraordinary form)
2025 date
  • 23 November (ordinary form)
  • 26 October (extraordinary form)
2026 date
  • 22 November (ordinary form)
  • 25 October (extraordinary form)
First time31 October 1926

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, commonly referred to as the Feast of Christ the King, Christ the King Sunday or Reign of Christ Sunday,[4] is a feast in the liturgical year which emphasises the true kingship of Christ. The feast is a relatively recent addition to the liturgical calendar, instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI for the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. In 1970, its Roman Rite observance was moved from October to the last Sunday of Ordinary Time and thus to the end of the liturgical year. The earliest date on which the Feast of Christ the King can occur is 20 November and the latest is 26 November. It typically marks the end of Ordinary Time, which continues up until Advent Sunday, the first day of Advent. Depending on the year, Saint Andrew's Day, significant in some cultures, may fall prior to Advent Sunday. Thus, Christ the King is typically the last or second-to-last calendrical feast of the liturgical year.

An image of Christ the King at the Antipolo Cathedral, Philippines.

The Lutheran, Anglican, Moravian, Methodist, Nazarene, Reformed and United Protestant churches also celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, which is contained in the Revised Common Lectionary;[5] the Methodist, Anglican and Presbyterian Churches often observe this as part of the liturgical season of Kingdomtide, which runs between the Fourth Sunday before Advent and the Feast of Christ the King. It is also observed on the same computed date as the final Sunday of the ecclesiastical year, the Sunday before the First Sunday of Advent, by Western Rite parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.[6] Roman Catholics adhering to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite use the General Roman Calendar of 1960 and continue to observe the Solemnity on the date established in 1925, the final Sunday of October.

  1. ^ The Feast of Christ the King, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, anglicanchaurchsa, 21 November 2011
  2. ^ 29 October, Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate. https://www.orthodoxwest.com/kalendar
  3. ^ Richert, Scott P. (29 July 2018). "When Is the Feast of Christ the King?". Learn Religions. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Moravian2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings Proposed by the Consultation on Common Texts, Augsburg Fortress, 2005, pp. 304–305, ISBN 0806649305
  6. ^ Fraternity of St. Gregory the Great calendar