| Institutum Christi Regis Summi Sacerdotis Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest |
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|---|---|
| Formation | 1990 |
| Type | Catholic |
| Headquarters | International Seminary, Gricigliano, Italy |
| Key people | Gilles Wach — Founder, Prior General Philippe Mora - Co-founder, Rector of the Seminary R. Michael Schmitz - Vicar General, USA Provincial Superior |
| Website | institute-christ-king.org |
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 Liturgy in Latin in accordance with its constitutions and founding documents. Its goals are to preserve and patronize traditional Latin Rite liturgical art and music. It has undertaken the restoration of a number of historic church buildings.
The Institute is a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right, whose rule of life is based generally on that of the secular canons. The Institute has its own choir dress, adopted in 2006, which was given to members by the Cardinal Archbishop of Florence. Its stated mission is the defense and propagation of the reign of Christ in all areas of human life, both private and social.
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The Institute, founded in 1990, is based in Gricigliano, Italy, where the international seminary is located. The Institute's foundation was originally canonically erected in Gabon, Africa, where the Institute still maintains several missions, notably in the capital Libreville. 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 the Prior General Monsignor Gilles Wach, STD, and Canon Philippe Mora, STD, who serves as rector of the seminary. Both received their priestly formation under the late Cardinal Siri (d. 1989) of Genoa. The Institute 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, who emphasized teaching the Catholic faith with patience and charity, and encouraging all Catholics to seek a life of holiness through the ordinary means of the Church, such as devout attendance at Mass (Eucharist) and frequent confession.
The Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Christ Sovereign Priest are a women's community (founded in 2004) associated with the Institute. They are also based in Gricigliano. The sisters are non-cloistered contemplatives, and their way of life is based on the Benedictine tradition. The community celebrates Mass and the Divine Office using the Traditional Latin Rite prior to the changes introduced by Vatican II. When the number of sisters has increased sufficiently, the order plans to locate convents near the Institute's churches, where the sisters will perform apostolic work such as teaching. The sisters now number nearly twenty.
In the United States, the Institute is located in Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, New Jersey, California, and Arizona, with national headquarters in Chicago. Its oldest United States apostolate is St. Mary Oratory in Rockford, Illinois, where Fr. Brian A. T. Bovee is rector. In Kansas City, Missouri in 2005, Bishop Robert Finn 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 foundations was in Santa Clara, California, at Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Superior for the United States is Monsignor R. Michael Schmitz, who is also Vicar General of the Institute.
The Institute is active in the dioceses of Liverpool, Shrewsbury and East Anglia in Great Britain. Since St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2006, the Institute has had a presence in the diocese of Limerick in the Republic of Ireland. Since May 2010, the Institute in Ireland has expanded into the diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora. In addition to its oratories in the United States and missions in Africa, the Institute also has apostolates in France, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. 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. Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, then Archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, ordained two United States priests in the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, Missouri on the feast day of the Most Sacred Heart 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.
Monsignor Gilles Wach, STD, is the founder and Superior General. He was ordained by Pope John Paul II.
Canon Philippe Mora, STD, is the co-founder and rector of the international seminary.
Monsignor Michael Schmitz, STD, JCL, 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 XVI.