Christ the King and His Sacred Heart is a docudrama produced by HM Television. Over the past six years, HM Television has released special documentaries featuring prominent figures from the Middle Ages, including Saint Joan of Arc, Saint Ferdinand, Saint Isidore of Seville, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, and most recently, Saint Louis, king of France. The intention was to rediscover and understand the roots of Western civilization and European identity, "which cannot be understood without Christianity." This year, HM Television has decided to take a break from medieval figures and turn our gaze toward the Eternal One: Jesus Christ, our Lord.
With this trailer, HM Television announces its upcoming production: "Christ the King and His Sacred Heart." This documentary film premieres in the context of the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Feast of Christ the King. It was instituted by His Holiness Pope Pius XI in 1925, with the renewal of the consecration of humankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Pope Leo XIII was the first to make the consecration in 1899 after a nun of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd: Sister Maria of the Divine Heart communicated to him the desire of the Lord that the whole of humanity be consecrated to his Sacred Heart. This documentary will allow us to discover the relationship between Christ the King and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as well as the biblical and theological foundations of Christ's kingship. We will see how the Kingdom of God has spread throughout the centuries and what ideologies seek to supplant His reign. We will discover how to let Christ reign and govern in our lives. And through dramatized scenes woven into the documentary's plot, we will learn the story of this humble nun to whom the Lord revealed himself so that the world might be consecrated to his Sacred Heart: Sister Maria of the Divine Heart.
Why right now?
I could say that the documentary Christ the King and His Sacred Heart was created to mark the centennial of the institution of the Feast of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, promulgated by Pope Pius XI in the encyclical Quas Primas. While that is true, it is not the whole story. The driving force behind its creation runs much deeper.
The true catalyst that set this work in motion was the cry of a remnant, a small handful, that resonates powerfully in my heart. It was the cry of those who, tossed about by the waves stirred up by the forces of Evil—forces that seem to dominate the world—were losing heart. Nevertheless, their hope was anchored by two things: the certainty that all creation belongs to one King and Lord, Jesus Christ, and the desire to live under Christ’s lordship.
A generation that has turned its back on God and violently expelled Him from the social sphere, seeking to erase all traces of His existence and actions while elevating man to the status of "lord of the world," makes the future appear uncertain and dark. Recognizing that the struggle is overwhelming and beyond our strength, we turn with filial trust to the One who has the true power "to sum up all things in Christ" (Ephesians 1:10). Throughout history, God has revealed Himself through humble and insignificant people who, aware of their limitations and shortcomings, have surrendered to Him and allowed Him to act freely. Each person must make an individual commitment: a single "yes" can change the course of history.
Since the proclamation of the Feast of Jesus Christ the King on December 11, 1925, thousands of men and women around the world have shed their blood proclaiming, "Long live Christ the King!" Through this gesture of supreme love, they acknowledged Jesus Christ as King, a title earned by Him on the Cross. They truly understood the transcendence of their lives. Are we up to the task of taking up the torch?
- Sr. Teresa María Pérez -
CONTENTS
- In the Beginning: Christ’s Primacy over Creation
- Christ the King in the Old and New Testaments
- Through the Centuries: The Spread of the Faith
- The Relationship Between Christ the King and the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Pope Pius XI: Quas Primas and the Institution of the Feast of Christ the King
- He Must Reign
- The King of our Hearts
- The Queen Mother
- Called to the Eternal Kingdom
- The life of Sr. Mary of the Divine Heart is depicted in dramatized scenes.
PRESENTED BY DAVID CRUZ PALACIOS
FEATURING:
Bishop Ginés Ramón García Beltrán, Bishop of the Diocese of Getafe, Spain
"In Spain, we feel a special calling to live in the heart of Christ."
Monsignor Juan Antonio Reig Pla, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Alcalá de Henares, Spain
"He comes to proclaim a Kingdom of Truth, where there is no place for lies—the Truth that is Himself."
Fr. Jesús Fernández Lubiano, Rector of the Basilica of the Great Promise (Valladolid)
“Christ the King is a sign of hope—indeed, He is Hope itself. The Kingdom of Christ begins here but ends in eternal life."
Fr. José María Alsina Casanova, HHNSSC, President of the Institute of the Heart of Christ (Toledo)
"When a family consecrates itself to the Heart of Christ, it anticipates the Kingdom of Jesus."
Fr. Valentín Aparicio Lara, Professor of Sacred Scripture at the San Ildefonso Higher Institute of Theological Studies (Toledo)
“Christians must lift their eyes and contemplate Christ the King in order to have hope.”
Fr. Carlos Granados García, DCJM, Ph.D. in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute
“Christ’s law brings about something new: it enables us to love with His own Heart.”
Alberto Bárcena Pérez, Ph.D. in Contemporary History from CEU San Pablo (Madrid)
"Every sensible ruler should, in order to rule legitimately, bear in mind that he governs on behalf of God, who is the one who governs nations, peoples, and individuals."
Elio A. Gallego García, Professor of Political Philosophy CEU San Pablo University (Madrid)
"All power comes from God, resides in God, and is granted by God to man so that he may collaborate with Him in governance."
Ricardo Ruiz de la Serna, Professor of Contemporary World History at CEU San Pablo University (Madrid)
“The glory of God is that man should live, and live fully!”. “The only one who can bring about true justice is Christ”.
Fr. Francisco Rodríguez González, Ph.D. in Sacred Scripture from the Ecclesiastical University of San Dámaso (Madrid)
"God's lordship is a lordship over the soul, where He reigns. The more one recognizes this lordship, the more one falls in love with Christ the King.”
Fr. Santiago Cantera Montenegro, OSB, Ph.D. in Medieval History from the Complutense University (Madrid)
"Christ's reign helps us understand the meaning of history with an eschatological perspective that will culminate in the Second Coming of Christ."
Fr. Colum Power, SHM, Ph.D. in of Church History from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Rome)
"When we say in the Lord's Prayer, 'Thy kingdom come,' we are asking for His love, Spirit, and truth to reign within us. May I no longer live according to my flesh or my old self.”
Fr. Joseph Bloomer, SHM, Bachelor of Theology
"Christ rules over me through the sacraments, which restore us to the way He intended us to be in the beginning."
Luis Cano Medina, Ph.D. in Theology from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Rome)
"Pope Pius XI established this feast day to emphasize that Christ’s reign should be present in society."
Margarita Torres Sevilla-Quiñones de León, Ph.D. in Medieval History from the University of León
"Having faith gives you strength. One unchanging truth is the presence of God, for Christ lives, reigns, and rules.”
María José Arranz, Graduate in Law and lay member of the Home of the Mother
"Our will must be directed toward the good." "We must restore the peace of Christ by accepting Him as our one true King."
Mother María Begoña, VSM, Federal Superior of the Salesas in Spain
"Jesus asks us to consecrate ourselves to his heart—to offer him everything: all that we are and all that we have; our sufferings and our crosses; our joys and our talents; our successes and our failures. He wants it all."
DRAMATIZED SCENES
Through dramatized scenes interwoven with the documentary's narrative, we will learn the story of this humble nun to whom the Lord revealed Himself so that the world might be consecrated to His Sacred Heart: Sister Mary of the Divine Heart.
"Eventually this divine Heart shall reign in spite of all those who oppose Him. Happy are those whom He will employ to aid Him to establish His reign!"
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a Sister of the Visitation of Holy Mary, received three great revelations from the Heart of Jesus. In these revelations, the Lord revealed that His Heart burns with love for mankind. He lamented the ingratitude of so many souls who do not draw near to Him, even though He awaits them with mercy. He calls for devotion to His Sacred Heart. When many enemies were hindering the spread of this devotion, the Lord told St. Margaret, “I will reign in spite of my enemies and all those who wish to oppose me.” The saint experienced this conviction in her heart: He will reign!
"I felt in my spirit an extraordinary motion—strong, gentle, not abrupt or impetuous. I then placed myself before the Blessed Sacrament, offering myself to His Sacred Heart in order to cooperate as much as possible in propagating devotion to it."
Blessed Bernardo de Hoyos was a Jesuit who discovered devotion to the Sacred Heart of Je- sus through a book by Fr. Gallifet while stud- ying in Valladolid. He was only 21 years old. From that time on, Jesus revealed the hidden treasures of His Heart to Bernardo—revela- tions that would culminate on May 14, 1733, with the Great Promise: “As I was asking for this feast (of the Heart of Jesus) especially for Spain, where it seems there is not even a memory of it, Jesus said to me, ‘I will reign in Spain with greater veneration than in oth- er places.’” From that moment on, Fr. Hoyos would not rest. He devoted all his available time to writing books, creating holy cards and drawings, and conducting popular missions. He did everything possible to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
"The Lord told me that He had chosen my heart as His dwelling place to find rest amid the forgetfulness of this world."
Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart was a member of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd. Born in Germany, the Lord guided her to the city of Porto in Portugal. There, as superior of the convent, she lived a life of intense dedication to God and to souls. The Lord entrusted her with a mission: to ask Pope Leo XIII to consecrate the entire world to the Sacred Heart. Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart is known as the "Emissary of Christ the King."
THREE APOSTLES OF THE HEART OF JESUS
The documentary mentions three of the great apostles of the Heart of Jesus: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Blessed Bernardo de Hoyos, and Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart.
MESSENGER OF CHRIST THE KING
What is the connection between Sister Mary of the Divine Heart, the Lord’s request of her, the consecration, and Christ the King?
Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart endured terrible suffering during her lifetime. This left her bedridden for the last three years of her life. Despite this, she led the convent as superior and never ceased to promote devotion to the Heart of Jesus.
The Lord's request for her to consecrate the entire world to His Divine Heart prompted her to write to Pope Leo XIII. She offered everything so that the consecration might be carried out. While no copy of the first letter survives, some of the ideas she conveyed to her confessor about the promises of the consecration have been preserved: "Bishops and priests will become more fervent, the righteous will become more perfect, sinners will be converted, and heretics and schismatics will return to the Church."
In her second letter to Pope Leo XIII, she expressed the desire of the Heart of Jesus to "reign, be loved, and be glorified." The Pope accepted the request and announced it in the encyclical Annum Sacrum in May of 1899. The worldwide consecration took place on June 11, 1899. Sister Mary had died just three days earlier.
When Pius XI established the Feast of Christ the King, he reaffirmed the consecration made by Leo XIII and requested that it be renewed annually on the feast day. This consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is also a consecration to Christ the King.
Most Holy Father,
In deep confusion I come to the feet of your Holiness to humbly beg permission to speak to you again... I come in deep respect and perfect submission to make known to your Holiness some new communications which our Lord has deigned to give me regarding the matter covered in my last letter.
Last summer while your Holiness was suffering from a sickness which filled the hearts of your children with anxiety, I was greatly consoled to learn from our Lord that He intended to extend your life in order to bring about the consecration of the whole world to His Sacred Heart.
He told me that after accomplishing the desire of His Heart, your Holiness should prepare yourself, and He continued, "In My Heart... Consolation... A secure refuge in death and at the judgment." He left me with the impression that after the consecration you would soon finish your earthly pilgrimage.
On the vigil of the Immaculate Conception our Lord caused me to understand that by means of this new development in devotion to His Divine Heart, He would enlighten the whole world with new light. These words of the third Mass of Christmas penetrated my heart: Quia hodie descendit lux magna super terram. And He said to me, "Peoples and nations will be enlightened by the splendor of this light and warmed by the intense heat of its rays."
I understood the ardent desire He has that His adorable Heart may be glorified more and more and made better known and that He would spread His gifts and blessings over the entire world.
For this, He has chosen your Holiness, prolonging your days so that you might give Him this honor, console His afflicted Heart and draw down on your own soul those choice graces which flow from His Divine Heart, the source of every grace, the dwelling place of peace and happiness.
I feel unworthy to communicate all this to your Holiness but our Lord, after having shown me clearly my own misery and after having caused me to renew an offering of myself as victim and spouse of His Heart, accepting willingly all kinds of suffering, humiliation, and contempt, gave me a strict order to write to your Holiness on this subject.
His desire to reign, to be loved and glorified and to inflame all hearts with His love and His mercy is so intense.
I beg you to send your blessing to her who, kissing respectfully the feet of your Holiness, has the honor of signing herself, your humble and unworthy daughter,
Sister Mary of the Divine Heart
Superior of the Convent of the Good Shepherd of Oporto
Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Your altar. We are Yours and Yours we wish to be; but to be more surely united to You, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Your most Sacred Heart. Many indeed have never known You; many too, despising Your precepts, have rejected You.
Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Your Sacred Heart.
Be King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken You, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned You; grant that they may quickly return to their Father's house, lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.
You are King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof; call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.
You are King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism; refuse not to draw them all into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Your eyes of mercy toward the children of that race that was once Your chosen people. Of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior; may it now descend upon them as a baptism of redemption and of life.
Grant, O Lord, Your Church, assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: Praise to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honor forever.
Amen.
POPE PIUS XI – QUAS PRIMAS AND THE FEAST DAY
The Feast of Christ the King, now known as the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, was established by Pope Pius XI on December 11, 1925, through the encyclical Quas Primas. Pope Pius XI had in mind the events of World War I, the lack of peace in the world, and the spread of communism when he established the feast day. He believed that true freedom and peace were impossible unless people publicly and privately recognized the kingship of Christ.
"Men must look for the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ; and that We promised to do as far as lay in Our power. In the Kingdom of Christ, that is, it seemed to Us that peace could not be more effectually restored nor fixed upon a firmer basis than through the restoration of the Empire of Our Lord."
(Quas Primas, 1).
"If to Christ our Lord is given all power in heaven and on earth; if all men, purchased by his precious blood, are by a new right subjected to his dominion; if this power embraces all men, it must be clear that not one of our faculties is exempt from his empire. He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls, or to use the words of the Apostle Paul, as instruments of justice unto God."
(Quas primas, 33)