The Spread of Russia’s Errors
Unfortunately, it is a sad fact of history that the consecration of Russia to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart was not done in time. She had appeared in 1929 to Sr. Lúcia in Tuy, Spain, telling her that:
The moment has come in which God asks the Holy Father to make, in union with all the Bishops of the world, 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 [for] reparation: sacrifice yourself for this intention and pray.[1]
Unfortunately, the Holy Father, then Pope Pius XI, did not perform the consecration, and the errors of Russia spread. Our Lady lamented the fact to Sr. Lúcia: “They did not want to attend to my request! … Like the King of France, they will repent and do it, but it will be late. Russia will have already spread its errors throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the Church: the Holy Father will have much to suffer.”[2] The prophesied wars, persecutions, and untold sufferings and martyrdoms all took place; beginning, of course, in Russia, and then moving to Spain and Mexico.
The revolt against God had many and deep effects both within and outside of the Church. Societies were disrupted, and church communities became infected with error after error. Division within the Church was on full display, weakening her witness to the world, and choking the anticipated renewal expected from the Second Vatican Council. A terrible chaos and upheaval arose that was, in reality, a rebellion against God, His Revelation and His Law.[3]
In a famous homily on June 29, 1972, Pope St. Paul VI discussed these difficulties. A full transcript was not provided by the Vatican, but the homily was paraphrased with some direct quotes interspersed throughout:
This state of uncertainty even holds sway in the Church. There was the belief that after the Council there would be a day of sunshine for the history of the Church. Instead, it is the arrival of a day of clouds, of tempest, of darkness, of research, of uncertainty. We preach ecumenism but we constantly separate ourselves from others. We seek to dig abysses instead of filling them in.
How has this come about? The Pope entrusts one of his thoughts to those who are present: that there has been an intervention of an adverse power. Its name is the devil, this mysterious being that the Letter of St. Peter also alludes to. So many times, furthermore, in the Gospel, on the lips of Christ himself, the mention of this enemy of men returns. The Holy Father observes, “We believe in something that is preternatural that has come into the world precisely to disturb, to suffocate the fruits of the Ecumenical Council, and to impede the Church from breaking into the hymn of joy at having renewed in fullness its awareness of itself. Precisely for this reason, we should wish to be able, in this moment more than ever, to exercise the function God assigned to Peter, to strengthen the Faith of the brothers. We should wish to communicate to you this charism of certitude that the Lord gives to him who represents him though unworthily on this earth.” Faith gives us certitude, security, when it is based upon the Word of God accepted and consented to with our very own reason and with our very own human spirit. Whoever believes with simplicity, with humility, sense that he is on the good road, that he has an interior testimony that strengthens him in the difficult conquest of the truth.[4]
The purpose, in the meantime, for having all of the bishops join the Holy Father in the act of consecrating Russia was to be a sign of unity. Jesus explained to Sr. Lúcia, “Because I want my whole Church to acknowledge that consecration as a triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so that it may extend its cult later on, and to place, next to the devotion of My Sacred Heart, the devotion of this Immaculate Heart.”[5]
Unfortunately, Pope Pius XI had not done the consecration, leading to the prophecies of Our Lady coming to pass. His successor, Pope Pius XII attempted to do it twice. The first time was in 1942 and the second time was in 1952. Unfortunately, because he did not meet one or the other of the requirements, such as being in union with all the bishops, the consecration did not have the intended effect of the conversion of Russia. The 1942 attempt, however, did have the salutary effect of curtailing World War II, according to Sr. Lúcia.[6] Pope St. John Paul II himself attempted it in 1982, but did not do it in union with all the bishops. Then he was able to galvanize them, and, on March 25, 1984, the consecration was finally performed, according to Sr. Lúcia, and avoided a nuclear war.[7] Pope Francis renewed it on March 25, 2022.[8]
The Great Need for Evangelization
In the midst of this period, the Popes recognized that there was a great need for evangelization. Pope Ven. Pius XII, the “Pope of Fátima,” made evangelization a priority and was careful to give guidelines given the situation created by Communism. He wrote:
….Whilst the propaganda of communism, today so widespread, is readily deceiving the minds of the simple and untutored, We seem to hear an echo of those words of the Divine Saviour: “I have compassion on the multitude.” It is imperative to put into practice with zeal and diligence the right principles taught by the Church in this matter. It is imperative to keep all nations free from those pernicious errors, or, in case they are already tainted with them, to set them free from these inimical doctrines which represent the enjoyment of this world as the unique goal to be attained by men in this mortal life. At the same time, by subjecting everything to state ownership and control, they reduce the dignity of the human person almost to zero. It is imperative to proclaim in private and in public that we are all exiles making our way to our immortal home; and are destined to eternal happiness, to which truth and virtue must lead us. Christ is the only real defender of human justice, the only true consoler of the human misery that in this life is unavoidable. He alone points out to us that haven of peace, justice, and everlasting happiness which all of us, redeemed by His blood, are to gain after our earthly pilgrimage is finished.[9]
The Second Vatican Council, under Sts. John XXIII and Paul VI, also devoted much attention to the work of evangelization.[10] Subsequent Popes worked tirelessly to this end as well.[11] The effort has subsequently become known as the “New Evangelization.”[12] Today, various apostolates like St. Paul Street Evangelization devote themselves to this effort.[13]
What, then, about Fátima and the New Evangelization? What does Fátima tell us about this new impetus for evangelization? Let us keep in mind a key component of Church teaching on private revelations like Fátima: they can inspire a deepening sense of faith and a renewal of devotional practices, both reviving old forms and establishing new ones.[14] Insofar as this teaching applies to Fátima, there are four observations that I’d like to make, connecting Fátima to the work of evangelization in the Church today:
1. Fátima presents us with notable evidence for the existence of God. The miracle of the sun and the subsequent drying of the earth and people’s clothes cannot be explained by known laws of physics.[15] Such an event, witnessed by some 70,000 people (atheists included), cannot be attributed to mass psychosis or hallucination. Moreover, consider the fact that the three visionaries accurately predicted three months beforehand that a miracle would take place. This should be used as a tool for apologetics and evangelization.
2. Fátima highlights for us the main danger of our time: The loss of faith and the kingdom of God in the hearts of men is widespread. We find ourselves in an ever more increasingly post-Christian world that owes its existence, in large part, to the spreading of the errors of Russia. Since we know from Our Lady what those errors are (atheism and materialism), we have a “leg-up” to know where and how we need to focus our evangelization efforts.
3. Fátima is a safeguard for the spiritual life. The spiritual life is of the utmost importance for any evangelist.[16] By living the message of Our Lady at Fátima, and practicing the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the evangelist has a sure path to God. The evangelist will always have God as the center of his or her life through this powerful means of developing the interior life of virtue and union with God.[17]
4. Fátima helps us remain firmly united to the Church. Jesus Christ established His Church upon the earth. She is His Bride. The message of Our Lady at Fátima is deeply rooted in these doctrines of our holy Faith, and, as such, serves as a reminder for us to remain in communion with the Church.[18] Her message is an exhortation to love and to promote the Church and the teachings of her Magisterium. This, too, is important for the evangelist.
The event and message of Fátima calls us to a deep union with God. The evangelist who possesses this union will have God shining through him or her. The evangelist will then radiate the love of God to people living in a world much in need of Him. It is the perfect answer to the prevailing atheism and materialism of today. Being a part of Our Lady’s “school of holiness” enables people to be more effective evangelists and catechists. The best part about it is that it’s really nothing more than simply being Catholic!
How does all of this work? According to Church teaching, authentic private revelations — like Fátima — lead people closer to Christ by a deepening of the three theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity.[19] In other words, God always calls us to live His Gospel, and Fátima is one way He does this in these very difficult times.
Cardinal Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI) helped us to understand the connection between the Gospel and the devotion to the Immaculate Heart proposed by Our Lady at Fátima. Rooting himself in the Scriptures, he wrote:
In biblical language, the “heart” indicates the centre of human life, the point where reason, will, temperament and sensitivity converge, where the person finds his unity and his interior orientation. According to Matthew 5:8, the “immaculate heart” is a heart which, with God’s grace, has come to perfect interior unity and therefore “sees God.” To be “devoted” to the Immaculate Heart of Mary means therefore to embrace this attitude of heart, which makes the fiat—“your will be done”—the defining centre of one’s whole life. It might be objected that we should not place a human being between ourselves and Christ. But then we remember that Paul did not hesitate to say to his communities: “imitate me” (1 Cor 4:16; Phil 3:17; 1 Th 1:6; 2 Th 3:7, 9). In the Apostle they could see concretely what it meant to follow Christ. But from whom might we better learn in every age than from the Mother of the Lord?[20]
Later, at the end of his remarks on Fátima, Ratzinger developed further what it means for Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart to triumph:
The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind. The fiat of Mary, the word of her heart, has changed the history of the world, because it brought the Saviour into the world—because, thanks to her Yes, God could become man in our world and remains so for all time. The Evil One has power in this world, as we see and experience continually; he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But since God himself took a human heart and has thus steered human freedom towards what is good, the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word. From that time forth, the word that prevails is this: “In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). The message of Fatima invites us to trust in this promise.[21]
Having described all of these things, the basic “nuts and bolts” are rather simple. Developing the devotion to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart, as through the Five First Saturdays Devotion, is about imitating her love and her virtues. She perfectly followed God and herself knows what it means to love God and to be faithful to Him. There is, then, a certain logic to propose her Immaculate Heart as a path to God. It reminds us that there is more than this world (which addresses the error of materialism), as well as her love of God points us to Him (addressing the error of atheism).
The Five First Saturdays devotion is a mechanism that puts us into Our Lady’s “school of holiness.” By spending this time with Our Lady, we are learning from her about her Son, and, as Ratzinger pointed out above, who better to teach us about Jesus than His mother? We are, at the same time, making reparation for the offenses committed against her. This reparation is, of course, in conjunction with making reparation to God as pointed out by the Angel of Portugal. The two work in harmony, and, in fact, being devoted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary enhances reparation to God as we develop her love for God within us.
The Witness of Sr. Lúcia
If these things sound too much like “pie in the sky” holiness, consider the witness of the life of the last surviving visionary of Fátima, Lúcia dos Santos (†2005).
Lúcia was known to be very simple, yet full of the wisdom of God. Every so often, when she had an opportunity to evangelize or catechize, she had a special way of edifying her audience. They would encounter not Lúcia per se, but God working in and through her. After her entry to religious life, Lúcia’s mission of prayer, sacrifice and love intensified. She led a hidden life of much suffering for the world and the Church, and the fact that she knew very well the ills plaguing them contributed to this suffering. She kept the flame of true supernatural faith alive in her heart and rejected (as we say in the rite of Baptism) the pomps and works of satan. She is a model for the spiritual life of the evangelist.
Lúcia was known to be very simple, yet full of the wisdom of God.[22] Every so often, when she had an opportunity to evangelize or catechize, she had a special way of edifying her audience.[23] They would encounter not Lúcia per se, but God working in and through her. After her entry to religious life, Lúcia’s mission of prayer, sacrifice and love intensified. She led a hidden life of much suffering for the world and the Church, and the fact that she knew very well the ills plaguing them contributed to this suffering. She kept the flame of true supernatural faith alive in her heart and rejected (as we say in the rite of Baptism) the pomps and works of satan. She is a model for the spiritual life of the evangelist.
One last note: the “elderly nun” in the opening story to this lesson was none other than Sr. Lúcia. It is based upon actual events of her life (though somewhat dramatized for effect).[24] This particular event of Sr. Lúcia’s life shows well her witness to the Gospel, so let’s see how it ended.
* * *
She felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw the Blessed Virgin Mary standing there. Tears in her eyes and with a joy beyond all comprehension, the nun prostrated herself before the Mother of God. “My daughter,” said the Virgin:
God has heard your prayer and sent me to tell you that it is necessary to intensify your prayer and your work for the unity of the Church, of the bishops with the Holy Father and of the priests with the bishops, to lead the people of God on the paths of truth, faith, hope and love, united in Christ their Savior. God is your comfort and I am here to help you. It is to serve Him that you are still here.
Her desire to serve God thus strengthened, and her love burning intensely, Sr. Lúcia felt the weight of her mission pressed upon her with a renewed sense of joy and urgency. Difficult days were yet ahead of her, she knew. Confident, though, that she was supported by heaven, the nun picked up her cross to follow where her Master beckoned … (Matthew 16:24).
[1] Carmelo de Coimbra, Um caminho sob o olhar de Maria: Biografia da Irmã Maria Lúcia de Jesus e do Coração Imaculado O.C.D. (Coimbra, Portugal: Edições Carmelo, 2013), 198. Translation by Kevin J. Symonds.
[2] Ibid., 201.
[3] Pope St. John Paul II encapsulated much of what happened to the Church as a result of the spread of the errors of Russia in paragraph 34 of his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici (AAS 89 [1988], 393ff, esp. 454-455).
[4] English translation from the Italian by Fr. Stephanos Pedrano, O.S.B. Original Italian text is available on the Vatican’s website. I have slightly revised the translation in accordance with the Italian text in Insegnamenti di Paolo VI, Vol. X (1972) (Vatican City: Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana, 1973), 703-709.
[5] António María Martins, S.J. (edit.), Memórias e cartas da Irmã Lúcia (Porto, Portugal: Simão Guimarães, Filhos, LDA, 1973), 415, “Porque quero que toda a Minha Igreja reconheça essa consagração como um triunfo do Coração Imaculado de Maria para depois estender o Seu culto e pôr, ao lado da devoção do Meu Divino Coração, a devoção deste Imaculado Coração.”
[6] Cf. Martins, Memórias, 447.
[7] Irmã Maria Lúcia de Jesus e do Coração Imaculado, Como vejo a mensagem, 2ed (Fátima, Portugal: Secretariado dos Pastorinhos, 2007), 54-59.
[8] Celebrazione della Penitenza e Atto di Consacrazione al Cuore Immacolato di Maria (Vatican City, 2022), 21-24.
[9] Cf. Pope Ven. Pius XII Encyclical Evangelii Praecones (AAS 43 [1951], 497ff.). Paragraph 49. See also Fidei Donum (AAS 49 [1957], 225ff).
[10] Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes (AAS 58 [1966], 947ff.).
[11] Pope St. Paul VI Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (AAS, 68 [1976], 5ff.); Pope St. John Paul II Encyclical Redemptoris Missio (AAS 83 [1991], 249ff). Pope Benedict XVI even created, in 2010, a new Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization. See his Apostolic Letter Ubicumque et Semper (AAS 102 [2010], 788ff).
[12] Pope St. Paul VI spoke about a “period of evangelization” (evangelizationis tempora) in Evangelii Nuntiandi 2. The term “New Evangelization” was first used by Pope St. John Paul II on June 9, 1979 in a homily in Poland. It was not until later, however, that the term began to refer to a specific and concerted effort. See Pope St. John Paul II’s March 9, 1983 Address to the CELAM Assembly (AAS 75-I [1983], 771ff., esp. 778). The original Spanish is “nueva evangelización.”
[13] For a reflection upon the New Evangelization, see Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Address to Catechists and Religion Teachers (Jubilee of Catechists, 12 December 2000). English/Italian.
[14] Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, The Message of Fatima (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2000), 35.
[15] There have been some efforts on the scientific level to understand the miracle of the sun from that perspective. Fr. Stanley Jaki, God and the Sun at Fatima (Port Huron, Michigan: Real View Books, 1999). See also the statement of Professor Gonçalo Xavier de Almeida Garrett (1841-1925) in Santuário de Fátima, Documentação Crítica de Fátima III – Das Aparições ao Processo Canónico Diocesano 1 (1917-1918) (Fátima, Portugal: Santuário de Fátima, 2002), 771-774. Professor Diogo Pacheco de Amorim (1888-1976) proposed the idea of an “air lens” (lente de aire). A summary of the discussion was provided by P. Gonçalo Portocarrero de Almada (Portuguese) and the Portuguese writer Bernardo Motta has organized (in Portuguese) a slideshow presentation on “Science and Miracles.”
[16] For some information on the spiritual life of the evangelist, see St. Paul Street Evangelization’s Perfect Union.
[17] Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 39, 43.
[18] Sr. Lúcia, “Calls” from the Message of Fatima (Still River, Massachusetts: Ravengate Press, 2000), 69.
[19] Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 35.
[20] Ibid., 39.
[21] Ibid., 43.
[22] Carmelo de Coimbra, 137-138.
[23] Ibid., 235-240.
[24] Cf. Carmelo de Coimbra, 391, 394.