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Ever since Pope Francis announced he would consecrate Russia, many have asked if Our Lady of Fatima provided an exact formula for Russia’s consecration.
Here are the exact words of Our Lady, revealed to the children at Fatima on July 13, 1917.
I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.
Initially, those were the only words Our Lady spoke to the children in 1917. Nothing mentioned about bishops and no “formula,” besides the “requirement” that the Holy Father would consecrate Russia.
Later, on June 13, 1929, Our Lady reportedly appeared to Sr. Lucia and said the following words.
The moment has come in which God asks the Holy Father, in union with all the bishops of the world, to make the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by this means. There are so many souls whom the Justice of God condemns for sins committed against me, that I have come to ask reparation: sacrifice yourself for this intention and pray.
In an interview in 1946, Sr. Lucia affirmed this request, only adding that it should occur on a “single day.”
What Our Lady wants is that the Pope and all the bishops in the world shall consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart on one special day.
Our Lady didn’t say to consecrate Russia on a specific day, nor did she give the exact words the Holy Father should use. She only gave general guidelines, which have been known to all the popes since the original revelation.
The key is to remember that the Church still considers the words of Our Lady a “private revelation,” meaning that it is not essential to the salvation of our souls and is not a “requirement” for our entrance to Heaven.
The Church does not oblige us to believe this revelation, nor is it meant to be the single thing that will bring us, or Russia, to Heaven.
It is meant to be an aid on our journey and to remind us to repent and believe in the Gospel. Our Lady doesn’t want us to simply say a “magic prayer” to solve the world’s problems. She wants us to be brought closer to her son, Jesus, and to unite our heart with their Hearts. This is the underlying purpose of the consecration of Russia. Not a magic trick, but a return to God.
And today we celebrate...