The War of Words: The Subversive Use of "Christ the King" and the Otherworldly Politics of the Catholic Laity in Mexico, 1925-1929

The establishment of the Feast of Christ the King on New Year's Eve, 1925, can be understood as a political statement aimed at censuring political changes in Europe and the Western hemisphere wrought by World War I (1914- 1918). The disorder brought on by the collapse of the German empire, the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires, along with the establishment of communist USSR and republican governments in several European countries, forced the Papacy to look at itself and the message of the Church as a model of leadership in a world that appeared anarchic. To counter political regimes antagonistic toward Catholicism and institute a new political program, Pius XI enunciated, in Quas Primas, that Christ should be recognized as the king of this world and sovereign over all nations. Christ the King was to be the symbol that negated political regimes hostile to Catholicism. Mexico was one such country attempting to curb Catholicism's political influence. Under the slogan "Long Live Christ, the King!" the laity developed a political message and rallying point to fight the anticlerical government of Mexico. This article explores the meanings of the phrase and its link to the beliefs of the detractors of Plutarco Elias Calles during the Cristero War. Analyzing the words and their various meanings, this article intends to explain the importance of Catholicism and the laity's particular brand of faith in Christ in the fight against the Mexican government.