Dear Catholic readers of LifeSiteNews,
In all of our 25-year history, we have never put out a more urgent request than the one we are about to lay out to you now.
There are historic events happening all around us on a daily basis, and the threat of nuclear war is a real and present danger now as it has never been before. We have seen the spread of the errors of Russia in communism, socialism, abortion and the attack on the family and faith spread throughout the world for over a century. But the world was warned all this would happen in 1917 with the most widely witnessed public miracle in history.
Newspapers all over the world attested to the “miracle of the sun” taking place with 70,000 persons in attendance and among them many journalists who were hoping to discredit the faith of three poor shepherd children who were receiving messages from heaven. Others many miles away from Fatima also witnessed it because of its great brightness and elevation in the sky.
The Mother of Jesus was sent to warn the world, via these little children, that the world must repent of it sins and turn back to her Divine Son. She spoke of the reality of Hell and the fact that many sinners end up there. She spoke of war as a chastisement for sin and especially of the world wars in this regard.
But, apropos for our times, she spoke of Russia spreading her errors throughout the world. She told the children that Jesus had a special plan for Russia – that that nation would be used both for the chastisement of the world and then after that to bring it back to Christ.
The request of heaven was a childlike and simple act. It was a request made in 1929 that the Pope in union with the bishops of the world must consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Over the last nearly 100 years, that has never been done in the manner that heaven requested. Some Popes consecrated Russia without the other bishops, Pope John Paul II united with the bishops in consecrating the world to the Immaculate Heart, but for political reasons pressed upon him by close advisers, did not mention Russia specifically.
Heaven’s warnings were very severe, should the consecration not be done. In a 1957 interview with Fr. Fuentes, Lucy, the only surviving visionary of Fatima, said, “Tell them, Father, that the Blessed Virgin said repeatedly – to my cousins Francisco and Jacinta, as well as to me – that many nations would disappear from the face of the earth, that Russia would be the instrument of chastisement from Heaven for the whole world if the conversion of that poor nation is not obtained beforehand.”
With the controversy over the consecration of Russia, it has rarely been mentioned since 1984 until Cardinal Raymond Burke called for it in 2017, and was supported in that call by Bishop Athanasius Schneider and Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano.
A breakthrough happened with the current war in Ukraine, when the bishops of Ukraine pleaded with the Pope to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary “as requested by the Blessed Virgin in Fatima,” to bring an end to the current conflict.
Today, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis would be consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Friday, March 25. That is one step toward the fulfillment of heaven’s request. What is still needed is that all the bishops of the world join the Pope in making the consecration at the same time (5 p.m. Rome time) on March 25. We need to ask all our bishops to do this: call, write or email them today! This must be done. It is essential for peace in the world, the likes of which we have never seen.
Heaven promised: “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 shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.”
With the specter of nuclear war looming that threatens to fulfill the warning that “various nations will be annihilated,” we have all the impetus we need to plead with our bishops and the Pope that the consecration of Russia be done as heaven requested – with all the bishops in union with the Pope. So please ask your bishop to do this. Sign our petition at LifeSite asking the Pope to mandate this participation from all bishops. And pray! Pray for that true peace promised at Fatima that would come as a fruit of this consecration.
At the daily rosary with Fr. Anthony Pillari that airs on LifeSite and other channels, Father will be praying particularly for this intention. Join in that prayer. We are releasing a John-Henry Westen show today with more details on Russia and it’s connection to Fatima and the consecration. And finally, there is just enough time to work in a novena prayer for the consecration. Here is one that Bishop Athanasius Schneider composed that would be great to pray at least once per day for the nine days starting tomorrow, March 16, and leading up to March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation that commemorates the incarnation of Christ exactly nine months before His birth on Christmas Day.
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, you are the holy Mother of God and our tender Mother. Look upon the distress in which the Church and the whole of humanity are living because of the spread of materialism and the persecution of the Church. In Fatima, you warned against these errors, as you spoke about the errors of Russia. You are the Mediatrix of all graces. Implore your Divine Son to grant this special grace for the Pope: that he might consecrate Russia to your Immaculate Heart, so that Russia will be converted, a period of peace will be granted to the whole world, and your Immaculate Heart will triumph, through an authentic renewal of the Church in the splendor of the purity of the Catholic faith, of the sacredness of Divine worship and of the holiness of Christian life. O Queen of the Holy Rosary and our dear Mother, turn your merciful eyes to us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer.
Amen.
+Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana
