The
Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (Latin: Institutum Christi Regis Summi Sacerdotis) is a society of priests in the Catholic Church that celebrates the
LiturgyA liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions. The word may refer to an elaborate formal ritual such as the Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy and Catholic Mass, or a daily activity such as the Muslim salat and Jewish services...
in
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
in accordance with its constitutions and founding documents. It also aims to preserve and patronize traditional
Latin RiteThe Latin Church or Rite is the majority Rite or particular church within the Catholic Church, comprising roughly 80% of its membership. The Latin Rite is one of the 23 sui iuris particular Churches within the Catholic Church...
liturgical art and music, and has undertaken the restoration of a number of church buildings.
The Institute is a
Society of Apostolic LifeA Society of Apostolic Life is a group of men or women within the Catholic Church who have come together for a specific purpose. Unlike members of an Institute of Consecrated Life or a religious order, members of apostolic societies do not make religious vows...
of Pontifical Right, whose rule of life is based generally on that of the secular canons.
The
Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (Latin: Institutum Christi Regis Summi Sacerdotis) is a society of priests in the Catholic Church that celebrates the
LiturgyA liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions. The word may refer to an elaborate formal ritual such as the Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy and Catholic Mass, or a daily activity such as the Muslim salat and Jewish services...
in
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
in accordance with its constitutions and founding documents. It also aims to preserve and patronize traditional
Latin RiteThe Latin Church or Rite is the majority Rite or particular church within the Catholic Church, comprising roughly 80% of its membership. The Latin Rite is one of the 23 sui iuris particular Churches within the Catholic Church...
liturgical art and music, and has undertaken the restoration of a number of church buildings.
The Institute is a
Society of Apostolic LifeA Society of Apostolic Life is a group of men or women within the Catholic Church who have come together for a specific purpose. Unlike members of an Institute of Consecrated Life or a religious order, members of apostolic societies do not make religious vows...
of Pontifical Right, whose rule of life is based generally on that of the secular canons. The Institute has its own
choir dressChoir dress is the vesture of the clerics, seminarians and religious of traditional churches worn for public prayer, either apart from the eucharist or by those attending the eucharist as the clergy part of the congregation rather than as the celebrants...
, adopted in 2006, which was given to members by the
CardinalA cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and making themselves available...
Archbishop of Florence, and has as its stated aim as the defense and propagation of the reign of Christ in all areas of human life, both private and social.
Early Years
The Institute, founded in 1990, is based in Gricigliano,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
, where the international seminary is located. The Institute's foundation was originally canonically erected in
GabonGabon is a country in west central Africa sharing borders with the Gulf of Guinea to the west, Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, and Cameroon to the north, with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. Its size is almost 270,000 km² with an estimated population...
,
AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
, where the Institute still maintains several missions, notably in the capital
LibrevilleLibreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon. The city is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea, and a trade center for a timber region.- History :...
. Its canonical status was of 'diocesan rite' until the 7th of October, 2008. Since then it is by decree of the Commission Ecclesia Dei of Pontifical Right. Deacons and priests are incardinated into the Institute, whose Superior General has the right to call to orders. The Institute was co-founded by Monsignor the Prior General Gilles Wach,
STDThe Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
, Superior General and Father Philippe Mora,
STDThe Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
, who serves as rector of the seminary. Msgr. Wach and Mora received their priestly formation under the late Cardinal Siri (d. 1989) of
GenoaGenoa is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. The city has a population of about 610,000 and the urban area has a population of about 900,000...
. The Institute currently has more than seventy seminarians in formation, and numbers over fifty priests.
The charism of the Institute is based on the example of its three patron saints: Saint Benedict, with his love for the solemn celebration of the liturgy, his emphasis on work and prayer, and his role in laying the groundwork for an integral Christian civilization in medieval Europe; Saint Thomas Aquinas, with his emphasis on the harmony between faith and reason; and Saint Francis de Sales, with the importance he attached to teaching the Catholic faith with patience and charity, and to encouraging all Catholics to seek a life of holiness through the ordinary means of the Church, such as devout attendance at Mass (
EucharistThe Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, Sacrament of the Table, the Blessed Sacrament, or The Lord's Supper and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance, generally considered to be a commemoration of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus Christ shared with his disciples before his...
) and frequent
confessionThe confession of one's sins is a religious practice important to many faiths, e.g., Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.- Christianity :...
.
Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Christ
The Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Christ Sovereign Priest are a women's community (founded in 2004) associated with the Institute, and are also based in Gricigliano. The sisters are non-cloistered
contemplativesThe word Contemplation comes from the Latin root templum , and means to separate something from its environment, and to enclose it in a sector. Contemplation is the Latin translation of Greek 'theory'...
, and their way of life is based on the
BenedictineBenedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
tradition. The community celebrates
MassThe Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, in many Lutheran Churches, and in a small amount of High Church Methodist parishes...
and the
Divine OfficeThe Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders, and laity. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings. Together with...
using the Traditional
Latin RiteThe Latin Church or Rite is the majority Rite or particular church within the Catholic Church, comprising roughly 80% of its membership. The Latin Rite is one of the 23 sui iuris particular Churches within the Catholic Church...
prior to the changes introduced by Vatican II. When the number of sisters has increased sufficiently it is expected that convents will be located near the Institute's churches, where the sisters will perform apostolic work such as teaching. The sisters now number nearly twenty.
Apostolates in the United States
In the United States, the Institute is located in
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
,
WisconsinWisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. states. Located in the north-central United States, Wisconsin is considered part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the...
,
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
,
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
, and
ArizonaThe State of Arizona is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix. The second largest city is Tucson, followed in size by the four Phoenix metropolitan area cities of Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, and Scottsdale.Arizona was the 48th and...
, with national headquarters in Chicago. Its oldest United States apostolate is St. Mary Oratory in
Rockford, IllinoisRockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Rockford is often referred to as "The Forest City" and is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2000 U.S...
where Fr. Brian A. T. Bovee is rector. The Institute's 2nd most recent foundation in the United States is in
Kansas City, MissouriKansas City is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties. It is one of two county seats of Jackson County, the other being Independence, just to the city's east...
, where in 2005
Bishop Robert FinnRobert William Finn is the current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph, having succeeded Raymond James Boland on May 24, 2005.-Early life and ordination:...
established an oratory, (a public church where the Mass and other rites may be administered), for the Institute at an historic church otherwise in danger of being closed. One of its most recent foundation was in
Santa Clara, CaliforniaSanta Clara, California , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission...
, at
Our Mother of Perpetual HelpOur Lady of Perpetual Help or Our Mother of Perpetual Help is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary, associated with a Byzantine icon of the same name, said to be 13th or 14th century, but perhaps 15th century. The icon has been in Rome since at least the late 15th century...
. Superior for the United States is Monsignor R. Michael Schmitz, who is also
Vicar GeneralA vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the Institute. The Institute is active in the dioceses of Liverpool, Shrewsbury and East Anglia in
Great BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
. Since St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2006, the Institute has had a presence in the
diocese of LimerickDiocese of Limerick may refer to:*Church of Ireland Diocese of Limerick*Roman Catholic Diocese of Limerick...
in the
Republic of IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
. In addition to its oratories in the United States and missions in Africa, the Institute also has apostolates in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
,
BelgiumThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
,
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
, and
SwitzerlandSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
. The Institute is especially active in the domain of education, running schools in France (Montpellier, Lille and Versailles), Belgium (Brussels International Catholic School), and Africa.
In 2007, the Institute ordained four new priests. Archbishop
Raymond Leo BurkeRaymond Leo Burke is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, having previously served as Archbishop of St. Louis and Bishop of La Crosse .-Background:...
of the Archdiocese of St. Louis ordained two United States priests in the Cathedral Basilica of
Saint LouisSt. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States...
,
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
on the feast day of the Most
Sacred HeartThe Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus's physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
of Jesus on June 15, 2007. Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovera, the Primate of Spain, ordained two French priests at Gricigliano, the Institute's seminary in Italy on July 5, 2007.
Superiors
Monsignor Gilles Wach,
STDSTD may refer to:* Sexually transmitted disease* Doctor of Sacred Theology * São Tomé and Príncipe dobra, the ISO 4217 code for the currency of São Tomé and Príncipe* Standardization, a common abbreviation for "standard"...
, is the founder and Superior General. He was ordained by Pope John Paul II.
Monsignor Michael Schmitz,
STDThe Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
,
JCLJCL may refer to:Computing:* Job Control Language, a scripting language used on IBM mainframe operating systems* Java Class Library* Java Constraints Library* Jedi Code Library * Jakarta Commons LoggingPeriodicals:...
, is the Vicar General of the Institute and its United States Provincial Superior. He was ordained in 1982 by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now
Pope Benedict XVIPope Benedict XVI is the 265th and reigning Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the head of the Catholic Church and, as such, Sovereign of the Vatican City State...
.
Canon Philippe Mora is the co-founder and rector of the international seminary.
External links