What You Can and Should Do:
The Importance And Necessity Of
Petitioning The Pope To Order The Bishops To Consecrate Russia To The Immaculate
Heart Of Mary
The salvation of many souls and the peace of the world and the very existence
of several nations is literally dependent upon the Pope and the Catholic bishops
solemnly and publicly consecrating Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on
one specific day. This is the message of Fatima as we have proven in issue No.
17 and previous issues of The Fatima Crusader.
To achieve this collegial consecration of Russia, the Pope must order all
the bishops to do this. The Pope needs our moral support and our prayers before
he will be able to carry out this order from Heaven.
ANSWERS TO SEVERAL OBJECTIONS:
Objection No. 1
The Collegial Consecration of Russia has already been fulfilled by John
Paul II.
Answer
There is continuing confusion in the minds of some people regarding the previous
acts of consecration of the world effected by John Paul II recently. This confusion
has been generated by several false news reports stating that Sister Lucy said
it had been done. A news report published by Father Caillon which we reproduced
in this book shows clearly that Sister Lucy categorically and emphatically states
the consecration of Russia has not been done according to Our Lady of Fatima's
requests. We publish this report in full because the public is still being confused
by various articles which were published before the above-mentioned clarifying
article by Father Caillon.
As our readers might remember in The Fatima Crusader (issue No. 9-10) we published
the report of Soul magazine which stated erroneously that Sister Lucy had said
that the consecration of Russia had been done. We also published the report
from Approaches magazine which contradicted Soul magazine's report. We stated
our own position in The Fatima Crusader (issue No. 11-12). In issue No. 13-14 of The Fatima Crusader we carried Soul magazine's revised position in which
they published their acknowledgement that in fact the consecration of Russia
had not been done according to Our Lady's requests because, as they explained,
the Holy Father had still to choose a date for all the bishops to join him in
this solemn and public act. For the benefit of some of our readers who continue
to ask us why do we seem to be contradicting Soul magazine we again reproduce
here the essential paragraph of this report taken from page 7 of the May/June
1983 issue of Soul magazine. The article was entitled, "Was the Collegial Consecration
of Russia Complete?"
There still remains one very important act to be accomplished which was impossible
of achievement on May 13, 1982. It still remains for the Holy Father to designate
a specific day for the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
when bishops, in their own cathedrals throughout the world, will join in this
solemn and public act of consecration.
Soul magazine reiterated this position again in September/October 1983.
Soul magazine, as you can see from these published reports agreed (at least
up until October 1983) with The Fatima Crusader that the consecration of Russia
according to Our Lady of Fatima's requests had not been done.
Next we have the report of Father Fox, a newspaper columnist who says that
the prioress of the convent of Mount Carmel in Coimbra, where Sister Lucy lives,
told Father Fox that the consecration had been done. These reports have been
more than adequately dealt with by the article written by the Carmelite Father
Joseph de Sainte-Marie and which we published in The Fatima Crusader issue No.
13-14 , "Our Lady of Fatima's Demands Concerning Russia Not Yet Fulfilled". This article by Father Joseph de Sainte-Marie shows
clearly how false these words of Mother Prioress are.
Political Pressure On Sister Lucy
We must remember that poor Sister Lucy in the early 1940's was prevailed upon,
by local Diocesan authorities (who were influenced by political considerations),
to actually not tell the Pope that Our Lady asked that Russia specifically be
consecrated by all the bishops. Sister Lucy at the time was in a dilemma not
knowing what to do. Now, much later in her life, she knows that she must tell
the Pope clearly what precisely Our Lady has asked for. The same political and
human considerations still today seem to cause the issue to not be seen clearly
by certain members of the clergy. It was only after Vatican II lost the golden
opportunity and grace to consecrate Russia on November 21, 1964 and only after
Pope Paul VI went to Fatima on May 13, 1967 but omitted to consecrate Russia
that the general public was finally informed of this urgent matter. It would
now seem that it was the Rome-Moscow Agreement of 1962, which was sanctioned
by the Secretary of State which caused the Vatican to not obey the requests
of Our Lady of Fatima in 1964 and 1967. It may well be that these political
considerations still are operating to prevent the Pope from receiving full co-operation
from certain bishops around the world.
As we have reported on "Our Lady Of Fatima Awaits The Bishops" in issue No. 16 of The Fatima Crusader, Pope
John Paul II on March 25, 1984, stated publicly before 100,000 pilgrims that
Our Lady of Fatima is still awaiting the consecration of "certain peoples",
meaning Russia. He stated this two times that same day after he had consecrated
the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Obviously, Pope John Paul II knows
that Our Lady of Fatima's request for the collegial consecration of Russia has
not yet been fulfilled.
Objection No. 2
Petitions to our Catholic bishops are not important in order to help the Pope
bring about this consecration of Russia.
Answer
It is important for all to realize that their lives, their families, their
freedom and the very existence of nations depends upon the obedience of the
Catholic bishops to this request. It will only happen when enough people fulfill
in their own lives the requests Our Lady of Fatima had made to us. Nevertheless,
it is vitally important that the Pope and the bishops be respectfully petitioned
to fulfill Our Lady's request. The effectiveness of these petitions is demonstrated
by the fact that Pope John Paul II has already made the consecration of the
world three times, and referred to the fact that petitions were sent to him
from around the world to do this. We also give further reasons demonstrating
the importance of petitions further on in this article.
Objection No. 3
It has been rumored some Fatima workers and their groups have been told by some
unnamed person(s) to not collect any more petitions asking the Pope to consecrate
Russia. We do not want to be disobedient so we shall not collect any more petitions
until we are told we are allowed.
Answer
It would seem that this anonymous person who supposedly gave this order is
a bishop.
The Example Of St. Pius X
Unfortunately for the cause of Our Lady and for the eternal salvation of many
souls and for the temporal well being of many people, some members of various
Fatima Apostolates seem to think that they are bound to obey this command, which
is clearly beyond the authority of the one who gave it. This command is not
binding in conscience because of the apparent lack of proper form demanded by
Canon Law and the Natural Law. Our own eternal salvation is endangered as can
be seen from the article "The Present-Day Persecution Of The Church By Communist Russia Seriously Threatens Your Eternal Salvation". Such an order does not bind in conscience because, as Canon Law provides,
an order by a religious superior can be challenged by a subject in the following
manner: The superior when he gives an order must be willing to sign the written
order or else give it before two witnesses. If he is unwilling to take responsibility
for the order by either signing his name to the written order, or by having
two persons witness the fact that he gives the order - the order does not bind
in conscience. This provision of the Code of Canon Law is a reflection of the
Natural Law which tells us that a superior must be willing to take responsibility
for each order that he gives. If he is not willing to take responsibility then
the order does not bind.
Thus we see that St. Pius X who when he was a parish priest was one time called
in by his bishop and told to not preach on a certain subject. He said very well
I'll be glad to comply if Your Excellency will give me this order in writing.
His bishop refused and St. Pius X said very well I will continue to preach as
I have been, and he did.
In brief, the point here is that some unnamed prelate can not bind others
to do anything. If someone actually told a Fatima apostolate to stop collecting
petitions who is he? What is his name?
Even The Pope Could Not Give Such A Command
Even in the event that some bishop, Archbishop or Cardinal would ever come
forward and take responsibility for such an order it would still not bind in
conscience because in this particular case he would be outside his jurisdiction.
That is, he does not have the authority to give any person or group the order
to not petition the Pope. How do we know that even a Cardinal or even the Pope
himself could not lawfully give such an order? Simply because it is solemnly
taught by Vatican I that every Catholic, even a layman, has the right to appeal
to the Pope directly. To quote the Council directly: "And because, by the divine
right of Apostolic Primacy, the Roman Pontiff is at the head of the whole Church,
we also teach and declare that he is the supreme judge of the faithful and that
one can have recourse to his judgement in all cases pertaining to ecclesiastical
jurisdiction."
...Vatican Council No. 1
"Anyone who is aggrieved may appeal to it (the Holy Roman Church which has
Primacy and Jurisdiction over the whole Catholic Church) in matters pertaining
to the Ecclesiastical Court and in all cases that require Ecclesiastical investigation
one may have recourse to its judgement."
...The Second Council of Lyons
The God-Given Right Of The Faithful To Petition The Pope
Thus the faithful have a right given them directly by Almighty God Himself
to appeal and petition the Pope in a matter pertaining to Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction.
Since the Eternal Salvation of very many souls (as well as world peace, and
the actual existence of various nations and the political and economic freedom
of the whole world) depends upon the Pope and the bishops fulfilling to the
letter this God-given command to consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of
Mary, therefore this matter certainly pertains to Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction.
It follows from what Vatican Council I solemnly teaches that each and every
one of us Catholics can have recourse to the judgement of the Pope in this matter.
Therefore no one, not even a Cardinal, or even the Pope, can take this right
of recourse to the Pope away from us. Furthermore not even a Sovereign State
or an agreement between the Vatican and a Sovereign State (e.g. Russia) can
take away this God-given right of appealing to the Pope in a matter upon which
the salvation of souls depends. Clearly then we can and must appeal to the Pope
to consecrate Russia according to the command of Our Lady of Fatima.
Further Reason For Petitioning The Pope
Obviously these petitions are important as Sister Lucy herself signed one
addressed to the Pope asking for the Consecration of Russia by all the bishops.
Over 4,000,000 people have thus far signed petitions before the above-mentioned
prelate gave the order to stop collecting petitions. The petitions must be having
their effect otherwise why would anyone dare try to give such an unlawful order?
Pope John Paul II who clearly wants to consecrate Russia as Our Lady of Fatima
asked - would do it very soon if he knew that he had the grassroots support
of the people. It is because he fears open schism that he does not insist with
the bishops just yet.
The history of the Great Western Schism of 1380 to 1415 teaches the Popes
the importance of having widespread popular support when ordering the bishops
and Cardinals. To have this support is more important today considering the
widespread heresy of modernism within the ranks of the Church today. Having
many millions of petitions sent to the Pope would reassure him of our support,
so that he would feel confident enough to order the bishops to consecrate Russia.
The Pope needs our moral support. Today more than ever in this matter of consecrating
Russia because for more than 20 years the Vatican foreign policy towards Communist-dominated
countries has stopped the Popes from consecrating Russia as Our Lady of Fatima
asked. Now Pope John Paul II has started to change this foreign policy as can
be seen from the fact that he has attacked the Regime of Moscow in 1984. This
is contrary to the Rome-Moscow Agreement of Pope John XXIII of 1962 and therefore
the Pope is trying to change Vatican foreign policy. He cannot do it all at
once because it seems some of the influential Vatican Officials, who inspired
the earlier Vatican policy towards Russia still have a lot of power within the
Church. The Pope needs our support in order to overcome their resistance to
his change in Vatican policy.
As in any bureaucracy and institution of men the advancement of certain men
in their ambitions is dependent upon the acceptance of their policies and plans
of action being adopted by the group or institute they work for. So too in the
Church as in institutions that are only human, some men's personal ambition
sometimes hidden even to themselves, so clouds their judgement that they cannot
see that the policy they originally decided on and worked for is no longer justifiable.
Thus there may well be men in the Vatican and in various bishops' conferences
(e.g. France) who are still in favor of continuing the Vatican-Moscow Agreement.
These bishops work hard at seeing that the Collegial Consecration of Russia
will not take place. These people have not yet seriously reflected upon the
assassination attempt of May 13, 1981 which was engineered by the K.G.B. and
which once more proves that the Church cannot expect the Communist Regime to
stop its war against the Catholic Church.
Above all the Pope needs the grace of God to overcome all the snares of the
Devil - who continues to put many barriers in his way. We must help the Pope
by our prayers and sacrifices and fulfillment of Our Lady's requests at Fatima.
Thus Our Lord Himself said to Sister Lucy, "Pray, pray a great deal for the
Holy Father. He will do it (the solemn, public consecration of Russia with all
the Catholic bishops) but it will be late."
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