The first fruits of the consecration of Russia to the Heart of Mary

The "Consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart" is a votive prayer requested by Our Lady during her apparition in Fatima (Portugal) in 1917. The first text of the visionary Sister Lucia evoking Russia dates from May 29, 1929. And in 1952, Pope Pius XII consecrated "the peoples of Russia" to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in his papal bull Sacro vergente anno. 

But as Sister Lucia herself pointed out (1) :

"The consecration was made by Pius XII with a veiled, but divinely understood, mention of Russia. What was missing was the union with all the bishops of the world, and since this consecration is a call to union with all the people of God, this aspect was imperative. After that, the popes who followed Pius XII more or less repeated this consecration in the same conditions, but always lacked the union with all the bishops of the world. For this reason, in 1982, I told the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Portalupi, that this consecration was not in conformity with what Our Lady had asked.

Subsequently, Pope John Paul II made this consecration on March 25, 1984 (in fact on the 24th, the anticipated feast of the Annunciation), after having written to all the bishops, asking them that each one make it, in his own diocese, in union with the portion of the People of God that had been entrusted to him. And after bringing the image of Our Lady of Fatima to Rome, the Holy Father publicly made this consecration in union with all the bishops of the world who, with His Holiness, were united with the People of God, the Mystical Body of Christ; he made it to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Christ and of his Mystical Body, so that with her and through her, with Christ, it could be carried and offered for the salvation of humanity.

Thus this consecration was made by His Holiness John Paul II on March 25, 1984. I believe that there is no contradiction, and we must keep in mind that the most important thing about this consecration is the unity of all the people of God, as Christ asked shortly before his death on the Cross."

"It is to due to these last efforts that the first realizations of the promise were granted: religious liberation from near and far, with the emancipation of the countries of the East, and the resurrection of the Greek-Catholic and other Churches, which were suppressed or buried throughout the Soviet bloc. Today, the end of the persecution predicted by Our Lady is largely realized and conversion is underway. It was therefore in thanksgiving that John Paul II renewed his consecration at Fatima on May 13, 1991. No doubt it will be renewed again in the future in Russia itself, so as to multiply its fruits even more through the participation of the people." (2)

As for the last renewal of the consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart, it was made by Pope Francis on October 13, 2013.

F. Breynaert

(1) Sr. Lucia, letter of 21 November 1989, 

(2) R. LAURENTIN, Comment la Vierge Marie leur a rendu la liberté, Oeil, Paris, 1991