History of Italy May") and the Constitutional Referendum that abolished the monarchy; De Gasperi briefly became acting Head of State as well as Prime Minister on 18 June 1946, but ceded the former role to Provisional President Enrico de Nicola ten days later. The aftermath of World War II left Italy with a destroyed economy and a divided society. Following Victor Emmanuel III's abdication, his son, the new king Umberto II, was pressured by the threat of another civil war to call a Constitutional Referendum to decide whether Italy should remain a monarchy or become a republic. On 2 June 1946, the republican
Cathedral of Christ the King (Lexington, Kentucky) May 12, 1946. Parish functions were held in a pre-fabricated structure. Christ the King School was opened in 1951 and the Sisters of Divine Providence formed the initial faculty. The present church and rectory was built in the Modern and art deco architectural styles from 1965 to 1967 for $1.5 million. On January 14, 1988 Pope John Paul II established the Diocese of Lexington, and Christ the King became the cathedral for the new diocese. The Cathedral Center was added to the parish facilities in 1992. Cathedral of Christ the King (Lexington, Kentucky) The Cathedral of Christ the King is