The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right. Its reason for being is the honor of God and the sanctification of priests in the service of the Church and souls, in living continuity with the Catholic tradition.
Faith, Liturgy, and Beauty
The Catholic Church recognizes a deep harmony between faith, liturgy, and the power of beauty. The Institute regards the traditional Latin liturgy of 1962 as an integral and life-giving element of its spirituality: it is in this setting that priest and faithful encounter the mystery of God.
Three Patrons, One Spirit
The Institute’s spirituality draws on three co-patrons who form a living synthesis: Saint Benedict, symbol of the unity between faith, culture, liturgy, and life; Saint Thomas Aquinas, guardian of fidelity to the Church’s doctrine; and Saint Francis de Sales, model of love toward souls in need, both material and spiritual.
The Foundational Motto
“Veritatem facientes in Caritate” (Eph 4:15) — Making truth in charity — is the soul of the Institute. Saint Francis de Sales taught: “Cook the truth in charity until it tastes good.” This demand for loving truth, preferred over sterile polemics, shapes the entire life and apostolate of the Institute’s members.
Mortification and Charity
In the Institute, charity is accompanied by a daily mortification lived serenely. Saint Francis de Sales, called “the most mortifying of saints,” embodies this synthesis of divine love, apostolic gentleness, and personal austerity — a heritage the Institute seeks to perpetuate in its members.
In Continuity with Tradition
The Institute aspires to continuity with the authentic tradition of the Church, as it has been handed down from generation to generation. Its principle is that of the Apostle: “I pass on to you what I have received” (1 Cor 11:23). This is a living transmission, not a recreation: a patrimony received, preserved, and offered to each new generation.
Sacred Art, Music, and Architecture
As a religion of the Incarnation, Catholicism embraces artistic traditions as privileged places of divine presence. The Founder, Monsignor Gilles Wach, compares the Mass to “a precious diamond” that requires a worthy setting to reveal its full brilliance. Care for liturgical aesthetics — Gregorian chant, polyphony, architecture, and sacred arts — remains a central concern of the Institute.