Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by a reigning
Popes
Background
Consecration of Russia
According to Sister Lúcia, the Virgin Mary requested the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart both at Fatima in 1917 and, later, more explicitly at Pontevedra in 1929.[2]
In two letters she sent in May 1930 to Father Gonçalves, her confessor, Sister Lúcia linked the consecration of Russia with the
"God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The [First World] war is going to end; if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the pontificate of Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that He is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the communion of reparation on the first Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace. If not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world."
Some Catholics who support the position of the Catholic Church claim that the apparitions at Fátima took place after the
Categorised as private revelation
The alleged message given by the Virgin Mary at Fatima is considered a private revelation.[6]
The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church distinguishes between "public Revelation" and "private revelations". The term "public Revelation" finds its literary expression in the
"In giving us his Son, his only Word (for he possesses no other), he spoke everything to us at once in this sole Word—and he has no more to say... Any person questioning God or desiring some vision or revelation would be guilty not only of foolish behavior but also of offending him, by not fixing his eyes entirely upon Christ and by living with the desire for some other novelty."[8]
Consecrations
20th century
In 1942,
In 1964,
In 1981 and 1982, Pope John Paul II also consecrated the whole human race to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.[9][10]
All those previous consecrations were done not in communion and coordination with the Catholic bishops of the world.[9]
In 1983, Pope John Paul II set out to rectify any errors that had occurred with the previous consecrations; and on December 8, 1983, he sent a letter to all bishops worldwide, Catholic and Orthodox, asking them to join him in March 1984 for an Act of Entrustment to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.[16] Before doing the consecration, the pope consulted Sister Lúcia so as to make sure this consecration of Russia would be valid. However, on March 25, 1984, Pope John Paul II did not mention Russia when he declared an act of consecration of "those men and nations who are in special need of this entrustment and consecration."[17] After John Paul II's consecration, Sister Lúcia stated numerous times that the 1984 consecration had been done the way the Virgin Mary wanted it to be.[9][10]
21st century
At the formal request of the
Pope Francis' consecration of Russia
On 25 March 2022 the consecration by Francis took place in Saint Peter's Basilica in conjunction with a penitential service, with Francis stating: "Mother of God and our mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine". Konrad Krajewski also made a similar consecration in Portugal.[23][24][25]
The text of the consecration contains the title "Earth of Heaven" to refer to Virgin Mary in some of its versions. This title raised concerns among some Catholics. The Holy See explained the origin of the title was "taken from a Byzantine-Slavic monastic hymn, and it poetically signifies the union of heaven and earth that we can contemplate in Virgin Mary assumed bodily into Heaven".[26]
Conversion of Russia
In 1946, during a gathering of youth at Fátima, Sister Lucia was asked by a young Russian girl, Natacha Derfelden, as to how the conversion of Russia would be accomplished. Sister Lucia responded that the conversion of Russia would come through the
In 2003 and 2014, the
See also
- Consecration and entrustment to Mary
- Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
References
- ^ "Pope's homily at penance service with consecration of Russia (full text)". aleteia.org. 26 March 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
- ^ Fastiggi, Robert. "Pope Francis consecrated Russia and Ukraine to Mary’s Immaculate Heart, but what does that mean?", OSV, 25 March 2022
- ^ "Marian Apparitions of the Twentieth Century". Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
- ^ Farrow, Mary (10 October 2017). "Everything you need to know about Fatima (Part 2)". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ISBN 0399112626
- ^ "Public and Private Revelation | EWTN". EWTN Global Catholic Television Network. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ "The Message of Fatima". Vatican.va. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ "Catechism of the Catholic Church". Usccb.org. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ a b c d Kengor, Paul (23 March 2022). "John Paul II's Consecration of Russia". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "Pope invites bishops to join him in consecration of Russia and Ukraine". Vatican News. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ "Pope to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to Immaculate Heart of Mary". Crux. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ^ "Apostolic Epistle to the Dearest People of Russia". vatican.va. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
- ^ "Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the Triumph of the Kingdom of God | EWTN". EWTN Global Catholic Television Network. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Watkins, Devin (16 March 2022). "Ukrainian Bishops welcome Pope's consecration of Russia to Mary". Vatican News. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ J. de Souza, Raymond (16 March 2022). "Pope's Consecration of Russia and Ukraine Is a Supreme Act of Trust in Our Lady". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ "John Paul II's Consecration of Russia". National Catholic Register.com. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
- ^ "Pope invites bishops to join him in consecration of Russia and Ukraine". vaticannews.va. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
- ^ "Pope to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to Immaculate Heart of Mary - Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ CNA (15 March 2022). "Pope Francis to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to Immaculate Heart of Mary". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Watkins, Devin (23 March 2022). "Pope to Bishops: Consecration of Russia and Ukraine 'to implore peace'". Vatican News. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Mares, Courtney (23 March 2022). "Pope Francis asks all Catholics to take part in consecration of Russia, Ukraine". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Wooden, Cindy (22 March 2022). "Pope will consecrate humanity, 'especially Russia and Ukraine', to Mary, text says". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ CNA (25 March 2022). "Live updates: Pope Francis consecrates Russia, Ukraine to Mary's Immaculate Heart". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Esteves, Junno Arocho (25 March 2022). "Pope consecrates Ukraine, Russia to Mary". Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Brockhaus, Hannah (25 March 2022). "Pope Francis consecrates Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Mares, Courtney (25 March 2022). "Vatican explains 'Tierra del Cielo' ('Earth of Heaven') in consecration prayer". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Quoted in "Russia Will be Converted" by John Haffert, President of the Blue Army, 1956, p. 204
- ^ "Russia Will Be Converted" (PDF). Johnhaffert.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ "The Message of Fatima". Vatican.va. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ (in Russian) https://web.archive.org/web/20171002000502/http://gazetaslovo.com/%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8/%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B3%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%8F/item/portugaliya-pravoslavnye-svyatyni-posetili-fatimu.html
- ^ Fatima in Lucia's Own Words, Fatima, Portugal. (1976), Edited by Fr. Louis Kondor, SVD. Page 109.
Further reading
- Wooden, Cindy (18 March 2022). "Papal consecration of Russia, Ukraine has history of controversy behind it". Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- "Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine. What's that mean?". The Pillar. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
- ISBN 0-911218-10-6
- Thomas Petrisko, 1998, Fátima Prophecies, St. Andrews Press, ISBN 978-1-891903-30-4
- Fatima in Sister Lucia's own words – Free online version of the memoir book written by Sister Lucia, OCD
- The True Story of Fatima – Free online version of the book written by Father John de Marchi, I.M.C.
External links
- "Letter of the Holy Father to the Bishops for the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (21 March 2022) | Francis". www.vatican.va. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- "Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [25 March 2022] | Francis". www.vatican.va. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- Vatican News (25 March 2022). "25 March 2022,Penance Celebration and Act of Consecration, Pope Francis". Youtube.
- EWTN (25 March 2022). "Full Pope Francis' Consecration Prayer of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary". Youtube.