Russia

Consecration and Peace?

Something has been nagging at me for a long time and now has come to the forefront once again with the news of the day. It has to do with Russia and Fatima in 1917. Ever since I heard about the Blessed Virgin Mary's appearance to the children in Fatima, Portugal in 1917 and her request that Russia be consecrated to her Immaculate Heart for world peace, I've wondered what that actually means. Is it real and does it really matter? Did the consecration ever take place, and if not, does that explain why Russia continues on its non-peaceful way through history?

In the summer of 1917, while WWI was waging, the Blessed Virgin Mary reportedly appeared to three children in Fatima Portugal on various occasions. During this time also, on October 13, 1917, the Miracle of the Sun was reported whereby hundreds of people noted the sun dancing in the sky.

The three children Lucy, Francisco and Jacinta said that in the apparition on June 17, 1917, the Virgin said to them:

"I shall come to ask for the Consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart. If people attend to my requests, Russia will be converted and the world will have peace.”

Lucy, Francisco and Jacinta

They also said that on July 13, 1917 the Virgin told them:

"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.... 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, and 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.”

Wow! That sounds ominous, but wonderful in the end if we follow her instructions and consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart. But what does consecration mean and how is it accomplished? According to Sr. Lucy, who reported that the Virgin of Fatima appeared to her again on June 13, 1929, and said:

"This is the moment when God asks

1. the Holy Father (Pope) to make,

2. in union with all the bishops of the world,

3. the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart."

Have the three steps above been completed? Popes Pius XII (on October 31,1942), John Paul II (on March 25, 1984) and Francis (on October 13, 2013) consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart and nations (not specifying Russia), with Pius XII also specifically consecrating “the peoples of Russia” on July 7, 1952.

Some say that a valid consecration of Russia, fulfilling the requirements, has not been carried out since the consecration has never been performed in union with all the Catholic bishops of the world as was requested, and that the specific mandate “Consecration of Russia” was not expressed verbatim in the wording. Others say the consecration was completed by Pope John Paul and that Russia was not explicitly noted then because the whole world needed consecration as it was in the heart of the Cold War in 1984.

So what has been bothering me? As I said, ever since I heard of Fatima and the Russia consecration request, I've had a nagging thought that we should be doing this but have not. The request by the Virgin Mary was made in 1917, when the world had no idea about the horrors that communism was going to bring to Russia and the world over the next century and even up to today with communism still going strong in China.

Hong Kong Crackdown

If the Pope at that time in 1917 had completed the three simple steps above, WWII, Korean and Vietnam Wars, the Cold War, terrorism, Gulf wars, communism, bioterrorism, China and even now Russia incursions yet again would have never happened. Wouldn't that have been nice?

But Napoleon, you live in a fantasy world if you think a simple consecration would have stopped all that evil, it was going to happen anyway? Was it? We'll never know because the Catholic Church decided what the Virgin Mary requested wasn't good enough for it. The Church knew better and still refuses to follow the three simple steps above for the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. As a result, the conversion of Russia has not occurred and here we are today - Ukraine.

The problem with humans is our hubris. It can't be that simple for peace in the world can it? Consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary? What army does she have? Most of the world doesn't even believe in Jesus, let alone the Virgin Mary and we're supposed to think a simple consecration proclamation in the Catholic Church will lead to world peace? Pishaw!

Well, let's see what has happened for our obstinance, as Our Lady predicted (my additions are in bold):

"He is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war (check), famine (check), and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father (check) ... she (Russia) will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church (check). The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various nations will be annihilated (check, check and check).

Maybe it's time to believe and DO what the Blessed Virgin Mary told us. What more do we have to lose, except more death and destruction in this world? The Catholic Church and Pope need to lose their egos and MUST specifically consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in clear, open terms with ALL the bishops of the world.

It will happen someday, if not in my lifetime, because as Our Lady says:

"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.”

How wonderful. Isn't that something to look forward to?