More and more nations consecrate themselves to Mary

In the north of England, 5,000 faithful were not afraid to brave the notorious Scottish rain in early September 2017, to attend the solemn consecration of their country to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by their bishops. The ceremony, presided over by the Archbishop of Glasgow, took place at the Carfin Shrine (Scotland). In the formula of consecration, in which he addressed the Mother of God, the archbishop pronounced these words in the name of all: “We consecrate to you Scotland, all that we love and all that we have. To you we give our minds, our hearts, our bodies, our souls, and we place ourselves, our families, our communities, at your service", describing the day as "historic", a "great feast" for the country and for the whole Catholic Church.

Indeed, many of Europe's great Catholic nations have made this consecration in the past. France, for example, was consecrated to God by the hands of Mary on February 10, 1638, in accordance with a promise to God made by King Louis XIII. Portugal, meanwhile, was entrusted to Mary as early as 1644. Two years later, Mary was declared Queen of Portugal, under the title of her “Immaculate Conception”. This is why the Portuguese kings later refused to wear a crown.

Germany, though Protestant, was consecrated to God by Mary during the Marian Year of 1950, by Cardinal Frings. This was followed by Ireland in 1979, in the presence of John Paul II. More recently, on February 18, 2017, England and Wales were consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster.

Beyond Europe's borders, South America witnessed the consecration of Peru in 2016, followed by Venezuela and Chile. In Africa, we should also mention Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola and Ghana, which renewed this act during the year. Congo consecrated itself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on February 4, 2017, in the presence of Cardinal Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See.

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