Thoughts on the Consecration of Ukraine and Russia
Apparitions and Theology
1. The King of France, Fatima and the Crisis in the Church
2. How should Catholics treat private revelations when studying theology?
3. Initial Thoughts on the Consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart
4. An “Ottaviani Intervention” on Signs and Wonders
5. Possible Miracles, Possible Deception: How credulity can lead us to ruin
6. Fatima, Theology and the Crisis: What should be their relationship?
Why the Rosary and the Immaculate Heart are Fatima’s Two Last Remedies (M.J. McCusker)
Here are some brief reflections on what the latest announcement may mean for us.
1. Our Lady said Russia, not Russia and the World, or Russia and Ukraine, or the USSR, or the individual Soviet republic, or the Russian Federation. Without this being a problem – why can’t we just do what we’re asked?
2. Our Lady said that it should be done with all the bishops of the world. No suggestion of an instruction to do this. Update: it has since been announce that the bishops of the world will be invited to join.
Are these two points deal-breakers? I am not going to argue that they are or are not. However, the simple truth is that the men in the Vatican know perfectly well that it must be a consecration of Russia and with all the bishops. They have chosen instead to introduce mild confusion by consecrating Russia and Ukraine, and to invite rather than require the bishops to join. Whether or not “ordering” or “requiring” the bishops to join in is not the point: rather, the point is that without something stronger than an invitation it is perhaps unlikely that there will be a moral unanimity.
The idea that the men in the Vatican need to be informed of anything about Fatima, or to be persuaded “to do it properly” by letters is risible. They know what they are doing.
More on the details of the consecration request below:
Then: The problems of Vatican II presents us with a choice between holding to traditional theology about the Church, or to Francis’s claim and that of his recent predecessors.
The traditional theology to which we refer here includes that of Church membership and loss of office, the immunity of the magisterium from dangerous errors, the infallibility of canonizations, and the Church as a visible institution and a visible unity of faith.
This traditional theology and Francis’s claim are mutually exclusive. Texts for that theology below.
If Francis consecrates Russia – presuming nothing dramatic happens beforehand, like an abjuration of heresy or clear accession to the papacy somehow or other – we could posit that one of three (update: four) things, broadly considered, could happen.
1. Peace, real or fake. Many will take it as evidence of him being pope, minus conversion. But if he is the pope, then traditional theology is wrong, and we have a serious problem – that the Church had defected before the Council. This cannot be, and so many will be gravely misled or confirmed in this error and implicit rejection of traditional theology.
More on the importance of holding to this traditional theology below.
Theology & History II: the nature of theology, and its relationship to history and other disciplines
A friend has noted that it could also result in a great increase in Francis’s credibility among conservatives and liberals. It could even result in the discrediting of Fatima itself, if after an apparent peace Russia were to do something manifestly awful. This would in turn result in the questioning of the credibility of the Magisterium which approved of Fatima to begin with.
See also here on the relationship between private revelations and theology:
2. Nothing happens. Nothing more to say.
3. God is not mocked. Nuclear war, the annihilation of nations, or another form of punishment. Do we think that God will allow Russia to be consecrated by a false pope pursuing an agenda like Francis’s, and do nothing in response?
Update: 4. “The Louie Verrecchio Option” – the upcoming event could provoke both blessing and chastisement. While the promised conversion of Russia would not be brought about by a false pope making this consecration, Verrecchio suggests that Our Lady would not despise the petitions of the many faithful who sincerely fly to her protection on the 25th March – even if there will also be grave punishment for others. Perhaps there could be a true outpouring of grace and blessings following this consecration.
These four options, however, say nothing of the probably severe disunity which will arise as a result of this between Catholics of goodwill arguing over whether it was valid or not.
Who knows what will happen. We must pray fervently:
We must redouble our prayers and watch and never waver in our trust in Divine Providence. Our Lady asked us to pray the rosary every day. We must heed her request and trust in her protection.
This, also, is why we launched the Fourth Rosary Crusade for a worthy Roman Pontiff.
Immaculate Heart of Mary: Pray for us!
Apparitions and Theology
1. The King of France, Fatima and the Crisis in the Church
2. How should Catholics treat private revelations when studying theology?
3. Initial Thoughts on the Consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart
4. An “Ottaviani Intervention” on Signs and Wonders
5. Possible Miracles, Possible Deception: How credulity can lead us to ruin
6. Fatima, Theology and the Crisis: What should be their relationship?
Why the Rosary and the Immaculate Heart are Fatima’s Two Last Remedies (M.J. McCusker)
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