Une Minute avec Marie
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The war had been raging for two years when, in March 1942, Sister Lucia, one of the visionaries of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, was inspired to ask the Holy Father to consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She told her spiritual director, Monsignor Ferreira:
"During that night of March 5, 1942, Our Lord seemed to make me feel more keenly that He was refusing to grant peace, because of the crimes that continue to provoke His justice, and also because He is not obeyed in His requests, especially for the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, even though He has moved the heart of His Holiness to accomplish it."
The Pope had already been aware of the desire for the consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary through several requests from Portugal, in 1936,1938 and 1940.
These requests from the Portuguese bishops convinced Pius XII. The Pope then asked Cardinal Schuster, Archbishop of Milan, to publish Our Lady's request, which he did in a pastoral letter dated October 13, 1942, because the Holy Father wanted this request to be known before pronouncing the consecration he was considering.
Upon consulting the Holy Office on the appropriateness of such a consecration, the pope was informed "that there were no theological objections to the matter, but that such a consecration did not seem opportune". Pius XII decided to ignore the advice of the Holy Office, and on October 31, 1942, in a radio address, he consecrated "the Church and the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary" mentioning Russia in the following way:
"To the peoples separated by error and discord, and especially to those who profess a singular devotion to you and among whom there was no house that did not honor your venerable icon, now perhaps hidden and reserved for better days, give peace, and lead them back to the unique fold of Christ, under the one true Shepherd."