Roman Catholic Heroes: October 2009

Why Is the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary the Key to the Solution of the Current Crisis in the Church?

Fr. Andreas Mahlmann

Why pray for a consecration of Russia? Where did this idea originate?

Bishop Bernard Fellay sees the attainment of the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as the key to overcome the crisis in the Church. This needs to be explained. He draws this conclusion from the apparition of Mary at Fatima in the year 1917, officially recognized by the Church. On the 13th of July Mary told the seer Lucy: God is going to punish the world with war, famine, and persecution of the Church, even the Holy Father himself. To avoid this, I come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart....In the end, my Immaculate Heart shall triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia, which will be converted and a time of peace will be given to the world.

Why is it necessary to consecrate Russia specifically?

Because it is the Will of God! Sister Lucy explained: Russia will be the instrument of punishment for the world if we do not succeed in converting this poor nation .... Our Blessed Mother warns us that if the consecration of Russia to the Will of God is not achieved, then the errors of Russia will spread over the entire world. Wars and persecutions of the Church will be the consequences. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, many nations will be destroyed.

As Sister Lucy revealed in her recently released letters: The Lord Himself let it be known that Russia will not be converted until the consecration is fully consummated .... "While it is my Will that the entire Church acknowledge this consecration as a triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary ... , that next to the devotion to my Sacred Heart, the devotion to the Immaculate Heart will find its place."

In what particular way will the consecration proceed?

As promised, Mary appeared once more (on June 13, 1929) to Lucy [who had, in the meantime, taken Orders in Tuy] to give her this message: The moment has come when God bids the Holy Father to unite all bishops of the world to consecrate Russia to my Immaculate Heart. In this way, it shall be saved. The words in this way are decisive because these words point to the only way the conversion of Russia can be achieved. Mary concluded: If the consecration is not completely achieved Russia will not convert, and the scourge of punishment for the world will be released culminating in the destruction of many nations.

Hasn't the consecration of Russia already been achieved?

Actually Pope John Paul II, after the attempt on his life (May 13,1981, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima), did try twice to initiate this consecration. He did this on May 13, 1982 and March 25, 1984. From this it is clear that he did take the message from Fatima in earnest. Unfortunately, he called for the consecration of the entire world without naming Russia specifically. The pope himself knew that this was not sufficient because

during the consecration ceremony (March 25, 1984) he admitted, regarding the Russian people, that "Our

consecration is still to be expected and hoped for" [see L'Ossevatore Romano, May 14, 1984]. He also knew that his handling of the procedures was not what the Mother of God expected. Moreover, Sister Lucy stated in an interview in September 1985: 'The bishops did not take part nor was Russia mentioned." Thus things stand till the present moment. High church circles tried to silence the warnings of Lucy through counterfeit letters and a counterfeit interview in which Lucy suddenly stated the complete opposite of what she had been telling the popes time and time again. Such a position taken by Lucy especially after the appearance of the Blessed Mother in 1929 in untenable. The failure of Russia to convert shows clearly that the consecration has not been achieved as Heaven expects.

Is not the end of the Cold War seen as a sign of the beginning of the conversion of Russia?

Absolutely not. The fruit of this collapse of the Iron Curtain merely achieved a powerful swing to the Left in the governments of Europe, most of which are in the hands of the Socialists. In Germany, we are particularly involved, (though nominally Christian in name) supporting time and time again pure socialist politics. The position of the Catholic Church in Russia has deteriorated drastically since the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1997 a law went into effect in Russia that discriminated against the Catholic Church while the Orthodox, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism have been enhanced. In all of Russia today there are fewer than 300,000 Catholics; fewer than in 1917 when Our Blessed Mother appeared at Fatima and promised the conversion of Russia.

Isn't it a little too late for the consecration of Russia, since the errors of Russia have already spread across the world?

No. Our Lord Himself saw this coming, and in August 1931 confided in Sister Lucy in Rianjos:
They (the popes) do not wish to achieve My wish (i.e., the conversion of Russia) .... Like the king of France, they will repent and will finally do it. It will be late. Russia will have already spread her errors over the world.
It is also known that this consecration will finally take place. There is no "too late." In this connection one must see the vision of the second visionary child of Fatima-who has been beatified-Jacinta Marto, who saw regarding the pope: Do you not see the many streets, the by-ways and fields full with people who cry from hunger, for they have nothing to eat, and the Holy Father in a church praying before the Immaculate Heart of Mary? And so many people that pray with him. In this witness, the Mother of God allowed the visionary to see in what tragic situation the pope would finally make the consecration.

What significance does the "Conversion of Russia" have for the fruit of the consecration promised US by Heaven?

When Heaven speaks of conversion, it means naturally the conversion to the one eternal Church founded by Jesus Christ-the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. "Conversion of Russia" means that
Russia, after 1,000 years of schism, will become Roman Catholic. St. Maximilian Kolbe had this vision towards the end of his life: "One day you will see the Statue of the Immaculate on the highest
battlements of the Kremlin." The Immaculate referred to is, of course, the Immaculate Conception of Mary. The dogmatic status of the Immaculate Conception of Mary does not exist in the Orthodox Church.
Thus by seeing this vision, the return of Russia to the Roman Church was clearly indicated by St. Maximilian Kolbe.

However, how is it that the consecration of Russia is also the key to the healing of the world and the Church?

Without a doubt the healing that is mentioned is not only of Russia, but rather Russia with the entire world. The word world is the center of the message on July 13, 1917, and is used four times. In the world
God wills the beginning of the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. If man does not obey, the world will be punished for this crime. Russia will spread her errors to the world. At the end, the world will be given a time of peace. Thus the words "In the end, my Immaculate Heart shall triumph" do not only concern Russia, but have a universal meaning for the whole world and also for the Church. The Church suffers today more than ever under the ecumenical error which no longer requires conversion from error and return to the one Sheepfold of Christ, as those outside of which feel no compulsion to acknowledge the holy throne of Peter (Pope Pius IX). Roman authorities agreed with the Orthodox authorities in the Balamand Declaration (June 23, 1993) that the Church is no longer seeking the return of the Orthodox to the Roman fold. Having made this false step, one could extricate oneself through the consecration of Russia because in so doing, one would assert once again the conversion of the Orthodox as the ultimate goal. The accomplishment of the consecration of Russia by the pope and all the bishops of the Church would be a significant turning from all errors, offering an opportunity to examine and rescind faulty steps taken at the Council. In that way the consecration of Russia would be a healing for the whole Church as well. St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort went another step: He saw at the end of time in his fiery prayer for a worldwide conversion to the Catholic Church: Mary must dispense more than ever before her mercy .... to the poor sinners and those in error, bringing them back and receiving them lovingly, converting them back to the Catholic Church. Give strength to fight against the enemies of God: the idolaters, the schismatics, Mohammedans,Jews, and the hardened godless. He spoke of a flood of graces and of love which would flow over the entire world. Then there would be one sheepfold and one flock. When will this be? The holy man gives indications of the time when this will happen: after a great crisis in the Church God's laws will be set aside, the Gospel abandoned, the stream of crime will flood the earth and pull God's servants with it, the entire earth will be without consolation. Godlessness will be enthroned, the sanctuary is defiled, and the horror enters the holy city. This prophesy shows-in the deep crisis of belief-a hopeful glimpse of the future with a Christian and Marian age to come. It is the pope, however, who by Heaven's command, must lead us there-no one can replace him.

Can we have hope that this will transpire?

From the mouth of Mary and Our Savior comes the promise that the consecration will be achieved someday in the correct way: "The pope will dedicate Russia to my Immaculate Heart; however, it will be ever
so late ... .In the end, my Immaculate Heart shall triumph" and the entire Church will acknowledge the triumph of Mary. It will also be a triumph for the Church. (This prophecy) has come to pass already: We are in the year 2009 and we see how late it is for this consecration. The Church finds itself in "a process of self-destruction" (Pope Paul VI) and almost the entire world, particularly Europe, is contaminated with the
errors of Russia and finds itself in socialist hands. In view of the financial crisis, a new, intensive drive for a new world order is in the works, an order where nothing good is said about Christians. Therefore all the more reason for a world-wide "Gulf offensive" of prayers. All Catholics that love their Church are thereby called out for a united emergency prayer to save the Church: the Holy Rosary. It is up to us to pray that the promised consecration will happen as quickly as possible and that the coming triumph of Mary will be thus hastened. Encouraging are the words of Our Savior to Sister Lucy: Make it known ... It will never be too late to have recourse to Jesus and Mary.

--Taken From "The Angelus" - August 2009, http://www.angeluspress.org/

It is with great joy that I add Fr. Damien de Veuster to my Roman Catholic Heroes Blog. Today was the canonization of Hawaii's First Saint who was a true hero for going to Molokai to live on the leper island. The lepers at the time had no priest living there on the island with them and many died without one to hear their confession or give them the last rites of the church. Not only did Fr. Damien volunteer to be their priest but he also helped them build churches, homes, nurse their wounds, police the area and chastise those who used children to satisfy their own lust and more. See the history of Fr. Damien here.

If you have not seen the one man play, check out Aldyth Morris' Damien, with Terrence Knapp as Damien. I've watched it many times and it is a story of love, hope, and the courage of one priest who right away talked to the lepers by saying, "we lepers" until one day he did become a leper. By helping them get food, clothing, shelter, and better medical and living conditions, Fr. Damien's kindness and concern for their welfare brought them to our Lord and God, Jesus Christ. Many, including protestant ministers, converted to the Catholic Church as well. Although many praised him, he had problems with the clergy and detractors too. May we all be reminded in our trials and tribulations that like Fr. Damien, we need to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. Aloha, St. Damien!