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History of the Consecration and
Related Events
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July 13, 1917 |
Our Lady
promises to "come and ask the
consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate
Heart"1 |
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June 13, 1929 |
Our Lady
fulfills her promise, asking "for the
consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate
Heart, promising its conversion through
this means and the hindering of the
propagation of its errors."2 |
|
date unknown |
Pius XI
(1922-1939) informed of this request3 |
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1938 |
Portuguese
Bishops ask Pius XI for the Consecration
of the World to the Immaculate Heart. It
is said they were influenced to do this by
the spiritual director of Bl. Alexandrina
da Costa (1904-1955). |
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June 1940 |
Request made
to Pius XII through the Bishop of Macau,
and a little later through Father Gonzaga
de Fonseca. Mention is made of Our Lady
asking the Consecrating of Russia to
the Immaculate Heart. |
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December 1940 |
Sr. Lucia
writes letter to Pius XII, saying that Our
Lord Himself requests the Pope to
"consecrate the world to the Immaculate
Heart of Mary, with a special mention for
Russia, and order that all the Bishops of
the world do the same in union with Your
Holiness."4 |
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October 31, 1942 |
Pope Pius XII
consecrates the world to the Immaculate
Heart. |
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July 7, 1952 |
Pope Pius XII
consecrates the Russian people to the
Immaculate Heart |
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November 21, 1964 |
Pope Paul VI
renews, in the presence of the Fathers of
the Vatican Council but without their
participation, the consecration of
Russia to the Immaculate Heart. |
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May 13, 1982 |
Pope John
Paul II invites the bishops of the world
to join him in consecrating the world and
with it Russia to the Immaculate Heart.
Many do not receive the invitation in time
for the Pope's trip to Fatima, where he
accomplishes the consecration. Sr. Lucia
later says it did not fulfill the
conditions. |
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October 1983 |
Pope John
Paul II, at the Synod of Bishops, renews
the 1982 Consecration |
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March 25, 1984 |
Pope John
Paul II, "united
with all the pastors of the Church in a
particular bond whereby we constitute a
body and a college," consecrates "the whole world, especially the peoples for which by reason of their situation
you have
particular love and solicitude." Both the Pope and Sr. Lucia
initially seemed uncertain that the
consecration has been fulfilled, but
shortly thereafter Sr. Lucia tells the
papal nuncio to Portugal that the
Consecration is fulfilled. |
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May 13, 1984 |
One of the
largest crowds in Fatima history gathers
at the shrine to pray the Rosary for
peace. |
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May 13, 1984 |
An explosion
at the Soviets’ Severomorsk Naval Base
destroys two-thirds of all the missiles
stockpiled for the Soviets’ Northern
Fleet. The blast also destroys workshops
needed to maintain the missiles as well as
hundreds of scientists and technicians.
Western military experts called it the
worst naval disaster the Soviet Navy has
suffered since WWII. |
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December 1984 |
Soviet
Defense Minister, mastermind of the
invasion plans for Western Europe,
suddenly and mysteriously dies. |
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March 10, 1985 |
Soviet
Chairman Konstantin Chernenko dies |
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March 11, 1985 |
Soviet
Chairman Mikhail Gorbachev elected |
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April 26, 1986 |
Chernobyl
nuclear reactor accident |
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May 12, 1988 |
An explosion
wrecked the only factory that made the
rocket motors for the Soviets’ deadly SS
24 long-range missiles, which carry ten
nuclear bombs each. |
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August 29, 1989 |
Sr. Lucia
affirms in
correspondence that the consecration
"has been accomplished" and that "God will
keep His word." |
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November 9, 1989 |
Fall of the Berlin Wall |
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Nov-Dec 1989 |
Peaceful
revolutions in Czechoslovakia, Romania,
Bulgaria and Albania |
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1990 |
East and West
Germany are unified |
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December 25, 1991 |
Dissolution
of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics |
Letter of Sr. Lucia to Pope Pius XII
requesting the Consecration of the World and Russia to
the Immaculate Heart
Most Holy Father,
Humbly prostrated at your feet, I come as the last
sheep of the fold entrusted to you to open my heart, by
order of my spiritual director.
I am the only survivor of the children
to whom our Lady appeared in Fátima
(Portugal) from the 13th of May to the 13th of October
1917. The Blessed Virgin has granted me many graces, the
greatest of all being my admission to the Institute of
Saint Dorothy. (To here this is copy of the sketch the
Bishop sent me.)
I come, Most Holy Father, to renew a
request that has already been brought to you several
times. The request, Most Holy Father, is from our Lord
and our good Mother in Heaven.
In 1917, in the
portion of the apparitions that we have designated "the
secret," the Blessed Virgin revealed the end of the war
that was then afflicting Europe, and predicted another
forthcoming, saying that to prevent it She would come and
ask the consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart as
well as the Communion of reparation on the first
Saturday. She promised peace and the conversion of that
nation if Her request was attended to. She announced that
otherwise this nation would spread her errors throughout
the world, and there would be wars, persecutions of the
Holy Church, martyrdom of many Christians, several
persecutions and sufferings reserved for Your Holiness,
and the annihilation of several nations.
Most Holy Father, this remained a secret until 1926
according to the express will of our Lady. Then, in a
revelation She asked that the Communion of reparation on
the first Saturdays of five consecutive months be
propagated throughout the world, with its conditions of
doing the following with the same purpose; going to
confession, meditating for a quarter of an hour on the
mysteries of the Rosary and saying the Rosary with the
aim of making reparation for the insults, sacrileges and
indifferences committed against Her Immaculate Heart. Our
good Heavenly Mother promises to assist the persons who
practise this devotion, in the hour of their death, with
all the necessary graces for their salvation. I exposed
the request of our Lady to my confessor, who tried to
have it fulfilled, but only on the 13th of September 1939
did His Excellency the Bishop of Leiria make public in
Fatima this request of our Lady.
I take this opportunity, Most Holy
Father, to ask you to bless and extend this devotion to
the whole world.
In 1929, through
another apparition, our Lady asked for the consecration
of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart, promising its
conversion through this means and the hindering of the
propagation of its errors.
Sometime
afterwards I told my confessor of the request of our
Lady. He tried to fulfill it by making it known to Pius
XI.
In several
intimate communications our Lord has not stopped
insisting on this request, promising lately, to shorten
the days of tribulation which He has determined to punish
the nations for their crimes, through war, famine and
several persecutions of the Holy Church and Your
Holiness, if you will consecrate the world to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary, with a special mention for
Russia, and order that all the Bishops of the world do
the same in union with Your Holiness. I truly feel
your sufferings, Most Holy Father! And, at much as I can
through my humble prayers and sacrifices, I try to lessen
them, close to our Lord and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Most Holy Father, if in the union of
my soul with God I have not been deceived, our Lord
promises a special protection to our country in this war,
due to the consecration of the nation by the Portuguese
Prelates, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary; as proof of
the graces that would have been granted to other nations,
had they also consecrated themselves to Her.
Now, Most Holy Father, allow me to
make one more request, which is but an ardent wish of my
humble heart; that the feast in honour of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary be extended throughout the whole world as
one of the main feasts of the Holy Church.
With the deepest respect and reverence I
ask for the Apostolic Blessing. May God protect Your
Holiness.
Tuy, Spain, 2nd of December of 1940.
Maria Lucia de Jesus
From Novos Documentos de Fátima,
Fr. Anthony Mario Martins, SJ (Oporto: 1984). English
edition: Documents on Fatima & Memoirs of Sr. Lucia.
(Alexandria, SD: Fatima Family Apostolate, 1992).
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