What the Blessed Virgin asked for is not difficult or expensive. She told the late Sister Lucia that a simple prayer for the conversion of Russia, by name, would suffice. The ceremony should take about five minutes, or ten minutes, tops. But it must be done publicly and solemnly, by the Pope, with all the other bishops joining him in their own dioceses at the same time.
You would think that would be simple enough to do, and worth doing considering the benefits promised by Our Lady -- a period of peace of prosperity and the salvation of millions who would otherwise perish. But no pope, from Pius XII through Benedict XVI has had the, errr, gumption to do it in the way Our Lady asked.
A couple of popes have come close. Pius XII and John Paul II both consecrated "the world". But they knew -- and Sister Lucia said -- that wasn't enough. All the bishops must join in, and Russia must be mentioned by name! But this runs contrary to the ostpolitik -- friendly dialogue with the Church's Communist enemies -- promoted by Cardinals Casaroli, Sodano and Bertone, former Vatican secretaries of state.
Even worse (for them), heeding the Blessed Virgin's warning in the Third Secret of Fatima would precipitate a cleansing of the Church, a dismissal from power of the Freemasons, apostates and heretics who now hold high offices in the hierarchy, and a much-needed correction of the numerous errors of Vatican II. The Message of Fatima is therefore bad news to the liberals, apostates and heretics who now hold high offices in the hierarchy.
That's why those "fallen stars" (see Chapter 12 of the Apocalypse), led by the disgraced Bertone, have been campaigning for years to consign the Message of Fatima to the dustbin of history. They characterize Our Lady's prophecies as "old news", and Her vision of "the bishop clothed in white" as referring to the attempted assassination of John Paul II -- over and done with. But Benedict XVI, who read the Third Secret, said the Message is even more relevant now than before.
We do not know if Pope Francis has yet read the text of the Third Secret -- the words of Our Lady which the Vatican still refuses to reveal to us. But it is evident the Holy Father believes in the need for repentance and reform to which the Blessed Virgin calls us. That is why, within weeks following his election, the Pope asked the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon -- twice -- to consecrate his new papacy to Our Lady of Fatima.
And, even though Cardinal Policarpo is thought to be in the "modernist" camp of Cardinal Bertone, the prelate did what the Pope asked. Addressing the Portuguese bishops in their 181st Plenary Assembly, he announced the Pope’s request for this consecration and he expressed his own desire that “all the episcopal conference [would join] itself to the realization of this request.” The Portuguese bishops accordingly decided to make this collegial act at the conclusion of the Mass of the International Anniversary Pilgrimage on May 13th, the 96th anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima.
The international pilgrimage was presided over by Archbishop Orani Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro, and drew crowds of well over half a million during the two-day celebrations, with more than 37,000 pilgrims walking to the holy site from various places in the Iberian peninsula. 37 bishops and 290 priests also participated.
At the end of the Mass, Cardinal Policarpo led the bishops in consecrating Pope Francis' pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima. The prayer of consecration began thus:
“Most Holy Virgin, we, the Bishops of Portugal and this crowd of pilgrims, stand at Your feet, on the 96th anniversary of Your apparition to the little shepherds, in this Cova da Iria, to fulfill the clearly expressed wish of Pope Francis to consecrate to You, Virgin of Fatima, his ministry of Bishop of Rome and Universal Shepherd.”
The Cardinal went on in this prayer of consecration (lasting about six minutes) to ask Our Lady of Fatima for all the graces of discernment and courage that the Holy Father will need to “overcome, in charity, the trials that the renovation of the Church will bring him.”
The text of the consecration prayer needs to be read carefully, with full attention to the exact words used, and to the words that were not said.
Notice that Cardinal Policarpo made no mention of the specific content of the Fatima Message and Our Lady’s requests. The impression the Cardinal gave was that Fatima was a call to prayer as a means of "conversion". But whose conversion? What sort of prayer? And why would it take an apparition of Our Lady and a spectacular public miracle -- the Miracle of the Sun -- to get only a general exhortation to pray? Surely the Blessed Virgin wants more of us, and of the leaders of the Church!
Nor did Cardinal Policarpo mention the Consecration of Russia as a condition for the conversion of that nation and the ensuing period of world peace. Russia is most assuredly not converted and world peace seems a present impossibility, barring a miracle. But it is precisely such a miracle that Our Lady has promised, if Her conditions are met.
But that's what Heaven wants. The Pope and the bishops, together, must consecrate Russia, by name, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Nothing less will do. Let us pray that this month's consecration of the papacy of Pope Francis is a first step in that direction.
We can be encouraged by the sense of urgency implicit in Pope Francis' having asked for the consecration of his papacy not just once, but twice. Presumably this was to ensure that Cardinal Policarpo would actually do it! And the Holy Father asked not just for consecration to Our Lady, but to Our Lady of Fatima!
What could have prompted Pope Francis to take such drastic action? (I have chosen the words carefully. the Pope's request was certainly drastic compared with the timid efforts of his predecessors.) Walt is convinced that the Holy Father must have read the Third Secret before he telephoned Cardinal Policarpo. And obviously he believes Our Lady's warning. So should we!
Further reading: “The Unsinkable Message of Fatima” by Christopher A. Ferrara, Esquire.
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