Pope Francis invited every bishop throughout the world, along with their priests, to join with consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary next week, the Epoch Times has confirmed.
Rome correspondent Bree Dail told the Jerusalem Post via Facebook Messenger and tweeted that she received confirmation from Matteo Bruni with the Holy See Press Office.
#BREAKING—@HolySeePress Matteo Bruni has just responded confirming @Pontifex has invited all the bishops of the world, along with their priests, to join him in consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. pic.twitter.com/VZNcp6IzYi
— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) March 18, 2022
The Pope will lead the Act of Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. The act of consecration will be presided at the same time by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski at the same time in Fatima, Portugal.
In a letter that was urgently sent to all bishops of the United States, Pope Francis invited the bishops and their priests throughout the world to be a part of the Act of Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Catholic News Agency said.
The letter was sent by Reverend Michael J.K. Fuller, General Secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and signed by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio, to the United States.
The letter, according to the agency, included an extended invitation to diplomatic corps members in Washington D.C. to attend a Mass offered by the Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at noon on Friday, March 25.
The Virgin Mary asked for the consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart in an apparition on July 13, 1917, in Fatima, Portugal. Mary stated that if the request were not granted, Russia would spread “its errors throughout the world, promoting wars and persecution of the Church.”
Mary added, “The good will be martyred. The Holy Father will have much to suffer. Various nations will be destroyed.”
There have been various acts of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary since the Fatima apparitions. First, on October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII consecrated the entire world. Then, on July 7, 1952, the people of Russia were consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the Apostolic Letter, “Sacro vergente anno.”