The Sanctuary of Christ the King is a Catholic monument and shrine dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ overlooking the city of Lisbon situated in Almada, in Portugal. It was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, after the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon visited that monument. The project was inaugurated on 17 May 1959. The giant statue was erected to express gratitude because the Portuguese were spared the direct destructive effects of World War II.
The outstretched arms of the Christ the King sanctuary, projected towards the city of Lisbon
View from the 25 de Abril Bridge
View of Christ the King monument with the Tagus River in the foreground and Almada in the background
Christ the King view from Lisbon
The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus Christ is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devotion to Christ is predominantly used in the Catholic Church, followed by high church Anglicans, and some Western Rite Orthodox. In the Latin Church, the liturgical Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated the third Friday after Pentecost. The 12 promises of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus are also popular.
Sacred Heart of Jesus by the Italian artist Pompeo Batoni
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Church of Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais, Paris, France
Holy card depicting the Sacred Heart of Jesus, c. 1880. Auguste Martin collection, University of Dayton Libraries
Sacred Heart at the centre of a rose window, Parish of the Immaculate Conception, São Paulo, Brazil