Friday 18 March 2022
1. Francis and the geopolitics of devotion to Our Lady of Fatima
2. Father Lombardi says “it is useful to reread Ratzinger, many themes are very topical.”
3. The 9 “bets” of Pope Francis
4. The conspiracy theories of Archbishop Viganò
5. St. Patrick’s Day parades turn pandemic blues Irish green
Francis and the geopolitics of devotion to Our Lady of Fatima
According to an article published in Italian news outlet, Domani, Pope Francis’ decision to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary has to be seen as a political message as well as a spiritual one. A couple of days ago Orthodox Patriarch Kirill gave the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir to the chief of the Russian National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, as a way of ensuring protection for the country’s army in the conflict. Historian Daniele Menozzi explains in the article that in this context, Pope Francis’ action is also significant.”The Marian worship, so dear to the Orthodox Church, is called upon to intercede for the attainment of peace, not to give a religious content to the crusade against Western modernity,” Menozzi explains, “it marks, thus, the diversity of the position of Roman Catholicism with respect to the line of the patriarchate of Moscow.” The article cites different instances in history where the Marian tradition was understood through a political lens. While professor Menozzi concedes that “we do not yet know how Pope Francis intends to interpret the consecration” he finds it “difficult that [the pontiff] can completely subtract it from the legacy of a past that connects it to a political dimension.”
Domani, Italian
And today we celebrate...