Back in April, Walt speculated on whether Pope Francis would be the one to finally obey the request of Our Lady of Fatima, and consecrate Russia by name to Her Immaculate Heart. She asked that this be done solemnly and publicly, in union with all the world's bishops. So far, no pope, from Pius XI through Benedict XVI, has been willing to go that far, although Pius XII and John Paul attempted consecrations of "the world".
So, when the Vatican announced in the summer that on October 13th -- the 96th anniversary of the Blessed Virgin's final apparition at Fatima -- Pope Francis would again consecrate "the world", Catholic believers in the Fatima prophecies began to hope that he would take at least one more step, and mention "Russia" by name. Hopes grew when it was further announced that the original statue of Our Lady would be brought from Fatima to Rome for the occasion.
At the "Path to Peace" conference held in Niagara Falls in September, Father Nicholas Gruner -- head of the the world's leading Fatima apostolate -- urged the Holy Father to do the Consecration as Our Lady asked. He was joined by a score of other speakers, clergy and laypeople alike.
Just today Walt saw "The Consecration of Russia: Even the Huffington Post Gets It!", by Christopher A. Ferrara referring to an article by Noel Irwin Hentschel, a Catholic mother of seven, head of the world’s largest privately-owned travel agency, and holder of a master’s degree in theology from the University of California at Berkeley.
Mr Ferrara says Ms Irwin Hentschel's background suggests that she is no "Fatimite", but a Catholic of decidedly non-traditionalist leanings who nonetheless understands what is at stake in the fulfillment of Our Lady of Fatima’s long-unheeded request. Her article on the HuffPost religion page is headed "Pope and Putin: Seize Opportunity, Heed Directive for World Peace and Good, 'Consecrate Russia!'"
Ms Irwin Hentschel makes a connection which never occurred to me before, linking the philosophy of Laozi (aka Lao-Tse or Lao Tzu) with the heavenly directive of the Blessed Virgin. "All under Heaven," wrote the Chinese sage, "have a common Beginning. This Beginning is 'The Mother of the World'. Having known the Mother, we may proceed to know her children. Having known the children, we should go back and hold onto the Mother..."
Ms Irwin Hentschel sees in this proverb a prophetic indication of the need "to take heed and obey the Holy Mother to spawn virtue and harmony for good, confronting the evils of corruption and violence."
Later she asks the same questions posed by Father Gruner and all the others (including Walt) who have begged the Holy Father to do as Our Lady of Fatima asks. "Will the pope and President Putin respect the explicit directive 'Consecrate Russia', which began in 1917 from Our Lady of Fatima, the holy woman they both hold as 'Mother of the World'? Will Pope Francis unequivocally 'consecrate Russia' to Her Immaculate Heart so the maternal promise of world peace and ultimate good may come to fruition?"
Walt has been surfing the Web assiduously for reports of yesterday's ceremonies. So far all I've been able to come up with is the official news from the Vatican's own website: "Pope consecrates world to immaculate heart of Mary". That's exactly what the Holy Father said he would do -- no less and, sadly, no more.
You can read the full text of the Pope's homily in the Vatican News report. In one of the first paragraphs, Pope Francis repeated the Old Testament story of King Naaman.
The story of Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, is remarkable. In order to be healed of leprosy, he turns to the prophet of God, Elisha, who does not perform magic or demand anything unusual of him, but asks him simply to trust in God and to wash in the waters of the river. Not, however, in one of the great rivers of Damascus, but in the little stream of the Jordan. Naaman is left surprised, even taken aback. What kind of God is this who asks for something so simple? He wants to turn back, but then he goes ahead, he immerses himself in the Jordan and is immediately healed (cf. 2 Kg 5:1-4). There it is: God surprises us. It is precisely in poverty, in weakness and in humility that he reveals himself and grants us his love, which saves us, heals us and gives us strength. He asks us only to obey his word and to trust in him.
Anyone who has heard Father Gruner preach knows the story of King Naaman is a favourite of "the Fatima priest". He has said time and again that all the pope has to do to obey Our Lady's request is to humble himself to say a simple, five-minute prayer, and use his power to command all the world's bishops to say the same prayer at the same time.
It appears that Pope Francis has worked up the courage to take himself to the bank of the river, and even to stick his toe in (so to speak), but is not yet quite ready to take the plunge. The world and Our Lady are still waiting.
UPDATE, 23/10/13 - Don't miss "On Pope Francis’ Consecration of the World: A Reply to Jeff Mirus" by Christopher Ferrara, which appeared October 18th in Fatima Perspectives.
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