Celebrating the Feast of the King

It’s not one of those feasts that has been celebrated for centuries. Nor is it observed by all Christians. But ever since I can remember, the Feast of Christ the King has been a solemn occasion, as Roman Catholics around the world pledge their allegiance to Christ — their King.

“Kings and their soldiers’ loyalty to them played a big part in mustering fealty and obedience, bringing armies together, and ruling over territories in Europe. So, at a time when practically every country in Europe — England, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal — had monarchies, who often attempted to assert their authority over the Church, Pope Pius XI instituted this feast, in 1925, to proclaim the Roman Catholic Church’s allegiance to Christ as their king,” explains Fr Caesar D’Mello, Parish Priest of St Andrew’s Church, in Bandra. Through this feast, “we recognise Christ in our hearts as our sovereign lord and master. It is a reminder that he is the king of our hearts,” adds Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal of Indore.

Initially observed on the last Sunday of October, the feast day was changed to the last Sunday in ‘Ordinary Time’ of the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar, by Pope John XXIII, in 1969. Thus, it is now held in November, before the start of Advent and the new liturgical year.

Celebrations galore

To mark the day, parishes typically have processions as an open proclamation that ‘Christ is King’. The procession is led by an altar server carrying a processional cross; followed by the people of the parish holding banners; altar servers; flower girls (little girls those who have received their First Holy Communion), dressed in white; and finally the priests — the main celebrant with a humeral veil draped around his shoulders, holds the monstrance containing the blessed sacrament.

Along the processional route, the housebound gather at their windows while others line the way, which is decorated with flowers, candles, and even buntings to welcome Christ. It is done in much the same sentiment as one would greet a dignitary going by. The procession ends at a previously allotted spot, where the congregation gathers for a sermon and benediction. “In the past, we used to have the feast mass after the procession, in the morning. But this year, we will have a 13-hour adoration in the church, which will be conducted by the different communities within the parish. The procession will be held in the evening, followed by the feast mass,” shares Aarushi Dhiman from Kharghar.

Planning begins about a month in advance. “Before the feast, the priests and parish council executive body decide a theme for the parish and the route for the procession. Then, police permissions are sought, and banners (based on the theme) are made by the different communities or zones of the parish. On the day, at Sacred Heart Church, Santacruz, the procession moves community-wise — the parishioners are encouraged to walk and pray with their respective communities. We used to stop for three benedictions earlier, but over the years, it has reduced to one,” says Patricia Fernandes, an usher.

Relevance today

In present times, when power and authority no longer lie in the hands of kings, but with the government and Parliament, “the biggest challenge is making the Feast of Christ the King relevant to the current day and age. So, now we try to find meaning in Christ as the King of hearts — Christ who goes out in service of others, and that’s what we emphasise. The feast is still called Christ the King, but it has been emptied of its real meaning, in which it was instituted in 1925. Today, it is about love and service, especially towards the poor,” shares Fr Caesar.

In other parts of India

We used to have a procession in Indore, but stopped around six years ago. Parishioners from nine parishes in the city gather at one location—the Shrine of the Blessed Mother Mary, in Palasia—where we sing bhajans, have a prayer session, mass and homily, and finally the benediction. While most people sit around on the lawn, chairs are available for the elderly. It begins around 2 30 pm and concludes around 5 30 pm, post which we honour the 10^th, 12^th and other degree-course toppers; this being the only time when all the parishioners across the different churches in the city come together. Normal Sunday mass is held in the respective parishes on the day, so that those who cannot make it to Palasia are not inconvenienced. Some of the smaller villages have their own celebrations.

As we have just concluded the 'Year of Mercy', this year the focus is on Christ’s mercy toward us and the fact that we too need to be merciful towards others.

—Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal, Bishop of Indore

In Delhi, for the last 30 years, morning masses on the Feast of Christ the King are suspended, in all parishes. We have one common mass at 9 am, said by the Archbishop, at St. Columba's School grounds. Responsibilities—for the choir, liturgy, food, water, police permissions and other logistics—are taken on by different deaneries. Mass is followed by the Eucharistic procession, which winds its way approximately three and half kilometres through the heart of Delhi and then makes its way back to the grounds for benediction, ending around 12 30 pm. The procession moves parish wise and parishioners sing, pray, display banners and even have floats based on the theme. Sometimes we have groups of other nationals, for example Africa, and they dance and sing as the procession moves on. At the end of the procession, the priests travel in a truck with the monstrance; children who have just received their First Holy Communion throw flowers in front of the truck. We conclude with a simple meal of puri and chole for everyone.

As Mother Teresa was cannonised this year and we have just ended the Year of Mercy, we have two themes.

—Fr Savarimuthu Sankar of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Delhi 

All parishes in Bangalore celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King as part of the Sunday liturgy on the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year. The mass is a normal Sunday mass and processions are not normally taken out on this day, but on the annual parish feast day, which will be celebrated on the feast day of the patron of the parish. But some of the more affluent parishes and of course the churches that are dedicated to Christ the King celebrate the feast in a grand manner; they have a procession on the day. People clean and decorate the neighbourhood that has been chalked out for the movement of the procession. Depending on the parishes and their local customs, some parishes have mass before and after the procession, while some have the procession first and then a thanksgiving mass. In some cases, the procession is followed by the benediction.

While the liturgy remains the same, decorations have become more lavish. However, the number of devotees participating in the celebrations and in the procession has fallen over the years.

—Archdiocese of Bangalore