Near 100 years of the institution of the Festival of Christ the King of the Universe, established by Pope Pius XI in response to religious war and persecution, the bishops of Mexico will publish a series of catechesis to reflect on the meaning of this solemnity in the light of the current challenges.
The videos that form the series will be published every Thursday in the networks of the Mexican Episcopate Conference (CEM), from July 3 to December 11, the day when 100 years of the encyclical Which the first of Pope Pius XI, a document that instituted the liturgical party of Christ the King in a worldwide context marked by wars and persecutions.
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The encyclical appeared when the world crossed the interwar period, with wounds open by World War I and the rise of new powers.
In Mexico, the hard repression of the Government against the Catholic faith resulted in the Cristero War (1926–1929), when many faithful rose in defense of religious freedom. The combatants of the Christian side were known as Cristeros, because at the time of being executed they used to shout “Long live Cristo Rey!”.
A bold proclamation in dark times
In it Presentation videothe president of the CEM and Bishop of Cuernavaca, Mons. Ramón Castro Castro, recalled that Which the first It was “a bold proclamation in dark times, when the world needed to remember that only Christ brings true peace.”
He pointed out that, especially in Mexico, this proclamation “found an echo in a moment of deep pain, the conflict of the Christian”, marked era “by religious persecution, violence, the spiritual resistance of the people and the brave testimony and the holiness of many men and women of faith.”
Mons. Castro regretted that, a hundred years away, the country continues to face “an injured reality, violence that destroys communities, disappearances that tear families, sin structures such as drug trafficking and corruption.”
In this regard, he explained that the objective of this series of catechesis is to reflect on “the kingdom of Christ as a living force that transforms history from love, truth, justice and peace.”
The bishop also detailed the meaning of the motto “come to us your kingdom”, because Christ “does not reign from human power, but from the cross”, and summoned all Catholics to “renew our faith, to strengthen our hope and to walk together as a church that listens, that prays and acts.”
“Let’s open the heart and, in these times of trial, we shout with faith, like the history of this people that pilgrim in Mexico: Long live Cristo Rey and Santa María de Guadalupe!”, He concluded.
The first video of the catechetical series is about justice and hope for Mexican families and is already available in the Official YouTube channel of the Mexican Episcopate Conference.
Diego López Colín
I am a graduate of journalism at the Carlos Septién García school with experience of religious institutional communication. Since 2016 I write for digital media and, since 2018, I report the most important news about the Catholic event in Mexico for the Ewtn news channel. ACI Press correspondent in Mexico since 2023.