"In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph, the Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, Russia will be converted ..." Many voices are proclaiming today that this long desired goal has been achieved. "Russia has been converted," they say or at least it is the beginning of that conversion.

       Furthermore, since this has occurred, it must be that the Consecration of Russia was validly done in 1984. And so we need not pester and petition the Pope. For that matter, (fallen man easily draws this conclusion) we need not live the Fatima Message with any great urgency or fervor, since the crisis has passed, peace has been granted, and so on.

God's Providence at Work

       We do not deny that recent events in the Eastern Bloc are providential. God Almighty, Who is the Lord of History, guides the courses of the nations.

       And we do not deny that the prayers and sacrifices of the Faithful have obtained from the Divine Mercy benefits for which we should be thankful. When the children of God live the Fatima Message, by offering the Rosary every day, consecrating themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, wearing the Brown Scapular, and — most important — offering the necessary sacrifice for the faithful fulfillment of all their duties, they obtain many and great graces for themselves and for a just peace in the world.

       We do not deny that the various consecrations and acts of entrustment which our Holy Father has made have had a value as prayers which obtain some blessings from the Most High.

       What we deny and oppose is the idea that Russia has been solemnly consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by the Pope acting publicly in union with all the Catholic Bishops of the world, in accordance with the solemn request of Our Lady of Fatima.

       There has been no solemn reparation for the state atheism of which Russia is the exemplar and the worldwide fomenter. There has been no manifest connection between such a consecration and the promised and yet to be achieved wonderful conversion of Russia to Jesus Christ our God. There has been no resulting widespread praise and glorification of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, seen as the cause of our salvation.

       In past issues The Fatima Crusader has analyzed closely the various consecrations made by the Popes and has demonstrated that they do not satisfy the conditions so clearly laid down by Our Lady of Fatima in the name of the Most Holy Trinity on June 13, 1929, to the fulfillment of which are attached such wonderful promises. Having shown that the commanded consecration has not taken place, it will be helpful to show also that the conversion of Russia has not occurred. Then we will see that we must increase our efforts for holiness of life, augment our prayers and sacrifices, and continue to work for the consecration and for the revelation of the final part of the Third Secret of Fatima.

Tragic Error

       It is very important to know what is the meaning of this "conversion of Russia." If we have the wrong idea of this reality, we may satisfy ourselves with some superficial or merely political or economic change in that poor nation, and give up our fervent living of the Fatima Message. Such an error would be tragic and would contribute at least indirectly to the loss of many souls, possibly our own.

Carolina, Sister Lucy's older sister with Father Paul Leonard and Father Martial Berube, Carolina told us last October that Sister Lucy does not type or write letters on a computer. This important fact demonstrates those letters allegedly form Sister Lucy that claim the consecration is done are indeed fakes.

Conversion That Pleases Our Lady

       The conversion of Russia is to be a triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is to be something that pleases Her. Now the will of the Immaculate Virgin is perfectly united to the will of God, both in regard to Herself who said "Be it done to Me according to Thy word," and in regard to us to whom She says, "Do whatever He tells you." So the conversion of Russia must be a conversion to the fullness of what God wills and commands human beings to do both as individuals and (and this is crucially important) as a nation, both in private life and in the life of the state as such.

       The conversion of the Russian people must mean their personal adherence to Him Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. And they must be attached to Him not merely in the way they may like, but in the way that He has commanded. It is the will and command of Jesus Christ the only Savior of the world, that we believe everything that He has taught, that we be baptized, and that we listen to the Church.

       It is the will and command of the Lord that everyone be a member of the Catholic Church, in full communion with the Successor of Peter, the Pope of Rome. This is the traditional and immemorial teaching of the Church and it was stated again by the Second Vatican Council.

       From the above it follows that it is not sufficient that the people of Russia return to the Russian Orthodox Church, which does not recognize the Vicar of Christ. How could they be said to be fully converted if they did not recognize the Immaculate Conception of Her who will have saved them? How could they be said to be fully converted if they did not accept the supreme jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome through whose instrumentality they will have been saved?

       It is important to note that Our Lady did not promise merely the conversion of Russians, or the conversion of the Russian People, but the conversion of Russia. She promised the conversion of the Russian nation and state, and not just the conversion of some or many of her citizens. If we are to distinguish a true conversion of Russia from a false one, we must know in what the true conversion of a nation consists.

Conversion, Not Just Change

       It is obvious that in the Fatima Message the word "conversion" is used in a Catholic and evangelical or theological sense. It does not mean merely "change". It means to repudiate sin and to embrace the holy will of God.

       In a human person, repentance begins with forsaking the darkness of error and accepting the light of faith in such a way that one lives and acts according to that supernatural light. It entails not merely ceasing to do wrong, but repudiating, rejecting and renouncing one's sins. Having repented of sin one "walks in the way of the commandments."

       God demands that we love Him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength. We are to obey God not only in a portion of our life which we call "religious", but in our whole life and in all its parts.

       We must live not only our spiritual life, but our private life, our family life, our life of work, our life of leisure, our cultural life and our civic or political life according to the law and plan of God. Otherwise, in reducing the Sovereignty of the Lord to some part of our lives, we would be refusing to recognize God as God, Who is the Lord of all, since He has created all things out of nothing.

What a National Conversion Means

       Nations owe all the good that is in them and their continued existence to Almighty God. They depend on Him. They belong to Him Who is the Sovereign Master of all things.

       Nations as such must obey God if they would be blessed by God in their national life. They too must recognize and honor Christ our God by first of all conforming to the natural moral law of right and wrong (written on every human heart) and by recognizing the truth and supreme importance of His Gospel, never acting against that Truth, and protecting and supporting the life of Grace in the people as much as possible.

       A Nation recognizes and honors the natural law when none of its laws or customs is contrary to that law. For example, an individual man may not take the life of another innocent human being. Similarly a nation may not take the life of the innocent; it may not sanction the taking of such life; it may not command such an evil action.

       Since the upholding and living of the natural law is a prerequisite and condition of true conversion to God, an individual or a nation cannot rightly be said to have converted if it continually acts in violation of that law.

Russia Today

       Let us consider the case of Russia. In Russia abortion on demand was introduced following the revolution. This is still in place. The state sanctions the murder of the innocent unborn child. (We must hang our heads as we realize that on this score we are no better — proof that Russia has succeeded in spreading her errors throughout the world.)

       Russia has not, as divine law requires, repudiated this horrible crime. It has not enacted legislation protecting the right-to-life of the innocent child in its mother's womb. It is very far from having done penance for its sins as Nineveh did when God warned them through Jonah.

       Russia does not recognize the existence of God or the fact of His Incarnation. It has not returned to God on a national level, as justice requires. It may tolerate the practice of religion. It may allow some Catholic churches to be opened, but that does not constitute a conversion. We may be thankful for the freedom that our fellow members of the Mystical Body enjoy for the moment, but we should still be vigilant.

Conversion Does Not Mean Consumerism

       As Russia becomes "Westernized" they are importing Western "consumerism" which is hardly better than their theoretical materialism. They are importing refined Western sensuality and pornography. Is this conversion to God?

       We must avoid a very grave error. We must not think that the conversion of Russia will be their conforming themselves and their national life to our present Western ways. Their conversion must mean that Russians become Catholic Christians and that Russia become a Christian Catholic Nation. So far this has not happened.

       It is the will of God that men be joined to Jesus Christ and filled with His Grace, sharing in the very life of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is God's will that our culture and society be a support to this supernatural life.

       It is contrary to the law of God that society be hostile to this life of grace. It is our duty to strive to construct a society where God is honored and welcomed and where His children may live in peace while preparing for Heaven.

Final Triumph

       When Russia has been converted it will become a Christian nation such as we have described. It will spread the Catholic Faith throughout the world, helping all men to be Catholic and all nations to be Catholic as God wants and commands. Then truly will there be the long-desired era of peace which the Immaculate Heart of Mary has absolutely promised.

       It has not happened yet. It will happen. Let us pray, sacrifice and work to hasten that glorious day.

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