(LifeSiteNews) — Bishop Athanasius Schneider has requested prayers for the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, now announced to occur on March 25, encouraging all who can to pray every day that the Pope fulfills Our Lady’s request at Fatima.
Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office, announced Tuesday that on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, adding 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.”
In preparation for such an event, Bishop Athanasius Schneider has asked for the faithful to pray every day in the lead up to the consecration for the Pope to make the consecration authentically, as instructed by the Blessed Virgin to the seers of Fatima, for the conversion of Russia and an end to the spread of her errors, as well as for the period of peace promised by Our Lady.
To this end, Schneider composed a prayer on behalf of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima, a community dedicated to “living out the call of Our Lady of Fatima,” to be prayed daily for the Pope’s upcoming consecration. Below follows the text of the prayer:
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.
Pope Francis’ announcement follows a heartfelt plea from the Ukrainian Catholic bishops, who asked Pope Francis to consecrate Russia and Ukraine “as requested by the Blessed Virgin in Fatima,” to bring an end to the current conflict.
“Holy Father! In these hours of immeasurable pain and terrible ordeal for our people, we, the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Ukraine, are spokesmen for the unceasing and heartfelt prayer, supported by our priests and consecrated persons, which comes to us from all Christian people that Your Holiness will consecrate our Motherland and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
The bishops explicitly requested that the Holy Father “publicly perform the act of consecration to the Sacred Immaculate Heart of Mary of Ukraine and Russia, as requested by the Blessed Virgin in Fatima.”
“May the Mother of God, Queen of Peace, accept our prayer: Regina pacis, ora pro nobis!”