Speaking from St. Peter's Square on the solemnity of the Annunciation on March 25, 2023, Pope Francis recalled the "act of consecration of the Church and humanity, in particular Russia and Ukraine, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary" he had presided over a year earlier, on March 25, 2022, "in union with all the bishops of the world".
This spiritual action, which rallied Catholics around the world, was one of the most powerful of Pope Francis' pontificate since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
At his general audience of March 22, 2023, the Pope invited all the faithful to renew this consecration every year, on March 25.