Notes and thoughts re Consecration of Russia & Ukraine

The mojo wire has been humming since we posted "At last???!!!! Pope Francis to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as requested by Our Lady of Fatima", yesterday afternoon. Although the lamestream media, dominated by secular humanists who know next to nothing of Christianity, Catholicism and the Fatima apparitions, have ignored this story, the  Consecration is an event that has been awaited and prayed for for 105 yeares. Attention must be paid!

An assiduous reader wonders why Pope Francis intends to consecrate "both Russia and Ukraine" to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. "Didn't Our Lady of Fatima request just the consecration of Russia?"

The short answer is that when the Blessed Virgin appeared to the three seers in 1917, the Bolshevik revolution had not yet taken place, and Ukraine was still a part of the Russian empire. An independent republic was proclaimed in 1918, but died aborning. By the time Sister Lucia saw Our Lady again in 1929 (see below), Ukraine had been part of the USSR for a decade. So, the "Russia" in Our Lady's message included Ukraine.

Walt has received an email from Michael Matt, editor of The Remnant newspaper, whose videos we often repost here. Mr Matt writes:

While I am relieved that he’s not consecrating Russia and Ukraine to Pachamama, I nevertheless do have one question: No matter where you come down on the Crisis in Ukraine, can you think of a more perfect opportunity than this for the Pope, united with all his bishops, to finally and at long last consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary? 

It would be so easy to finally do it right. Why now? Well, perhaps a better question is: Why not now? The eyes (and the wrath) of the world are focused on Russia. The consecration would not upset any of the Vatican's precious "dialogue partners". 

Even the world's hapless bishops would go along with it this time since their partners in media and government would certainly have no problem with it. Why not? Well, Russia, Russia, RUSSIA! It's a win/win for everybody! So why not just do it right? It's as if the Vatican will do almost anything to not obey the Mother of God's very specific requests. 

Mr Matt is referring to the specifics of Our Lady's Apparition at Tuy (Spain) in 1929, in which She told Sister Lucia, "The moment has come in which God asks the Holy Father to make, in union with all the bishops of the world, the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by this means. So numerous are the souls which the justice of God condemns for sins committed against Me, that I come to ask for reparation. Sacrifice yourself for this intention and pray."

The emphasis is mine. Pope Francis has not commanded "all the bishops of the world" to join in his consecration. The Vatican has only said that "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."

The late Fr Nicholas Gruner, founder of the Fatima Center, once told one of Walt's agents that he (Father Gruner) thought the then pope (John Paul II) was afraid to order the bishops to join him when he did the flawed consecration of the world (not Russia, specifically) in 1984, for fear that not all the bishops would obey.

I do not wish to impute motives to Pope Francis, but there will be those who will suggest that the pope is stopping short of ordering all the bishops to join him, in case his consecration doesn't produce the desired result! He would then be able to say that he did the best he could, in the circumstances.

But let us not get ahead of ourselves. Let us be both faithful -- full of faith! -- and optimistic, confident in God's mercy and love for those who love Him. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!

We must all pray and contact our bishops, asking that they join in the Pope's consecration of Russia and so fulfil the request of Our Lady of Fatima. Walt recommends the novena started by LifeSite News, for Pope Francis to consecrate Russia as Our Lady asked.