LifeSiteNews is reporting that Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, announced today:
“On Friday 25 March, during the Celebration of Penance at which he will preside at 17.00 in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The same act, on the same day, will be carried out in Fatima by His Eminence Cardinal Krajewski, Apostolic Almoner, as envoy of the Holy Father.”
This is confirmed as being reported on Francis’s “Twitter” feed as well.
Regarding the Date Selected
March 25th is an eminently appropriate day for the consecration. This is the Feast of the Annunciation, when the Word became Flesh (Mystery of the Incarnation). Catholic tradition also holds that this is the calendar day on which Our Lord was crucified. Similarly, ancient traditions maintain this was the calendar day on which Adam and Eve were created and the day on which they committed the Original Sin.
John Paul II performed one of his inadequate consecrations on March 25, 1984, so there is a papal precedent for this specific date being chosen. Incidentally, this news alone is further confirmation that Russia is NOT YET consecrated. If it were, then we would not have this war and Francis would not have released a public statement that he intends to make this consecration. This is further papal confirmation and vindication of what Father Gruner and Our Lady’s Apostolate have always maintained – the Consecration of Russia has not yet been done and the Third Secret of Fatima has not yet been fully released. We have not yet obeyed Our Lady’s requests!
Will this Consecration Be the One We Have All Long Awaited?
We don’t yet know. Time – and Grace – will surely tell!
All devotees of Our Lady of Fatima should be grateful for this development. We should also be aware that there are plenty of controversial points which will be raised. Amongst these are the following:
(1) Most importantly, will this be done in union with all the Catholic bishops of the world? We know this was explicitly requested by Our Lady of Fatima. At present, it appears that only the Pope and one Cardinal will make the consecration. Let us pray that many more bishops will join the prayer in their own cathedrals on the same day.
(2) What words will actually be used? We know that in the past “entrustments” have been offered, which is not the same as a consecration. We know that Russia should specifically be named. We know that the Immaculate Heart of Mary must also specifically be named, and those two names linked correctly – namely Russia is being consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Let us pray that an appropriate formula will be used.
(3) If Russia and Ukraine are consecrated, will this be a proper fulfillment of Our Lady’s request? In 1917, Our Lady never mentioned Ukraine, and the portion of the Secret of Fatima that has been publicized never mentions Ukraine. Will that inclusion have a negative effect on the proper consecration of Russia? One question that is raised is: What did Our Lady mean by “Russia”? In 1917 when She spoke, Russia was the Russian Empire and included the political territory which today is Ukraine (and many other lands).
Christianity first came to the “Russian lands” through Kiev and the Ukraine, when Vladimir the Great was baptized in ~988 A.D. and married a princess of Catholic Constantinople. Kiev was the center of Christianity for many centuries, though following the Council of Florence (1440s), Moscow declared itself a “Third Rome.” Clearly, there is a definite and specific connection between the Catholic Faith and Russia, though the area we know today as Ukraine is a connection, for example, that would not exist with other territories such as Belarus, Azerbaijan, or Turkmenistan.
(4) As everyone knows, there are Catholics who question whether Francis is the real Pope. Thus, they are likely to say that a consecration by Francis will not accomplish anything because Our Lady clearly desires the real Pope to make this consecration.
Know a Tree by Its Fruits
Our Lord Himself stated, “…by their fruits you shall know them” (Mt 7:20).
All devotees of Our Lady of Fatima know that Her promises are assured. Hence, there need not be much useless “debate” or arguing on “is this consecration the valid one?” Events themselves will show the truth of the matter. Here are indisputable points. We know that, following the proper Consecration of Russia:
- Russia will be converted to the true Catholic Faith (there is only ONE, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, outside of which there is no salvation).
- The world will be granted a period of peace.
- The Immaculate Heart of Mary will reign.
If these things happen, then we know the Consecration was done correctly. If the situation in the world continues to worsen, then we will know something was lacking in the act of March 25, 2022.
Timing of Prophecy and Promises Fulfilled
What is more difficult to discern is God’s precise timing.
We know that in the past, Popes have made incomplete efforts in responding to Our Lady’s requests at Fatima. For example, in 1942 Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Sister Lucia believed that this consecration shortened World War II. She said God, in His merciful goodness, had accepted this incomplete act and in turn granted graces to reduce how horrific the war would otherwise have been. Yet, the promised graces were withheld because the act was not done correctly. Again, in 1952, Pius XII consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart, but this time in a letter and without the union of all the Catholic bishops. Many believe this won the grace of limiting the Korean War from turning into World War III. And in 1984, after John Paul II made his incomplete consecrations, many Fatima experts believed the world was staved off from a possible nuclear war between the USSR and USA.
Thus, if Francis’ consecration on March 25, 2022 is incomplete, it is certainly possible that things in the world will slightly improve and that the world will be given a longer respite. Again, we will only know if this is the case as events unfold. The truth will come to light. We will know the act by its fruits.
Our Lady of Fatima Responds Quickly
I, for one, believe that if the Consecration is done correctly, then Our Lady’s promises will be fulfilled quickly. Why? Because as regards the Message of Fatima this has been the historic pattern. Consider just the following points.
- On May 5, 1917, Pope Benedict XV wrote a letter to Our Lady. He requested Her help because World War One was destroying the world and his negotiations were fruitless. He called on her as Queen of Peace and added this invocation to the Litany of Loreto. One week later, Our Lady appeared at Fatima on May 13, 1917. In Her message, She promised the war would end soon and indeed it did. Our Lady responded quickly.
- On February 11, 1929, Pius XI signed the Lateran Treaty, and it took effect on July 7, 1929. By this act, the Pope accepted that he had no temporal sovereignty in the world (outside the tiny Vatican City State). Yet, this is incompatible with the Social Kingship of Christ and the truth that the Pope is His Vicar on earth. It was about three weeks prior to this submission to earthly powers taking effect, on June 13, 1929, when Our Lady appeared to Sister Lucia at Tuy and said, “NOW is the time for the Consecration of Russia.” By such a consecration, the Pope must publicly (albeit implicitly) acknowledge that he has authority over Russia (and thus every other nation on earth as well). Again, Our Lady responded quickly.
- On October 31, 1942, Pius XII consecrated the world. Within two weeks, the Allies scored their first major victory of World War Two (Second Battle of El Alamein) and kept Hitler’s armies from controlling crucial oil fields. Important victories followed, and even Winston Churchill remarked that it seemed that ‘the wheels of destiny’ had turned in their favor. Again, Our Lady responded quickly.
When we finally obey Our Lady and God, then I believe the promised graces (those three listed above, in an earlier section) will flow into the world without much delay.
However, none of us can truly know God’s timetable. What we do know is that Our Lord told Sister Lucia that He wanted this to be done in such a manner that it would be obvious that this grace was granted to the world specifically through the intercession of His Mother’s Immaculate Heart. Only She can help us. And as a consequence of Her intercession, there will be worldwide devotion to Her Immaculate Heart.
What Can We Do?
Thus, we must all pray fervently for the proper Consecration of Russia and the promised graces that will follow. Above all, that should motivate us now at this urgent and climactic moment in history to:
- Pray your Rosary with greater devotion!
- Pray more Rosaries.
- Pray much for the Pope.
- Offer more penances, specifically for the proper Consecration of Russia.
- Make a good confession and offer it in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
- Make a daily 15-minute meditation and offer it in a spirit of reparation to the Immaculate Heart.
- Go to Mass and offer your Holy Communion in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary! It may not be a First Saturday, but we can nonetheless make the devotion on other days to gain graces!
If you know anyone who has any influence with his local Ordinary [bishop of a diocese] or with any other bishop, please request them to ask the bishops to ask Francis to invite Benedict XVI (i.e., Josef Ratzinger) and all the Catholic bishops of the world to join him in the consecration on the 25th “to avert a Third World War,” which could be far worse than all of man’s other wars combined. In this age of electronic and instant communication, it would be very easy for Francis to send an invitation to all the bishops of the world, inviting them to join him in making the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
We can all also ask our own bishop to join this consecration. Any bishop may naturally, on his own initiative, make the consecration in his own diocese on the same day as Francis. We know the Consecration of Russia is to be done by the Pope and all the Catholic bishops. If Francis does not invite (or command) all the bishops to join him, then perhaps more bishops choosing to join the act may gain increased graces for the world – and for their flocks!
Thus, there is much we can do. But time is short!
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!