As it happened: Pope Francis’ Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Vatican City, Mar 25, 2022 / 09:55 am

12:17 p.m.

That wraps up our live coverage of the Vatican event. Thank you for following the act of consecration here. We will be posting further reports on our website.

11:51 a.m.

Flowers are presented to a statue of Mary in St. Peter's Basilica

After reading the consecration, the pope placed flowers before the statue of Mary and censed it. Young children joined the pope as the Immaculata hymn was sung.

11:40 a.m.

Pope Francis consecrates humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine, to the Immaculate Heart

The pope recites the consecration prayer, beginning, "O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you."

11:29 a.m.

Mass held at Boston's Cathedral of the Holy Cross

At the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, Cardinal Sean O’Malley is saying a Mass for the consecration, concelebrated by Father Yaroslav Nalysnyk, pastor of Christ the King Ukrainian Catholic parish in Boston. Bishop Robert Reed, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston, preached at the Mass.

11:20 a.m.
All Catholics invited to take part in the act of consecration

Pope Francis has appealed to all the world’s Catholics to join him in reciting the act of consecration.

In a letter sent to the world’s bishops, he wrote: “I ask you to join in this act by inviting the priests, religious and faithful to assemble in their churches and places of prayer on March 25, so that God’s Holy People may raise a heartfelt and choral plea to Mary our Mother.”

He said: “This act of consecration is meant to be a gesture of the universal Church, which in this dramatic moment lifts up to God, through his Mother and ours, the cry of pain of all those who suffer and implore an end to the violence, and to entrust the future of our human family to the Queen of Peace.”

11:04 a.m.
Pope Francis goes to confession, then hears confessions

After Pope Francis preached his homily, there was a moment of total silence in the basilica. Following the recitation of the Confiteor, the prayer beginning “I confess to almighty God…”, the pope walked across the basilica to the area with the confessionals. There, he made his confession while standing. He then walked over to a confessional and began to hear confessions himself.

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The Sacrament of Reconciliation is also available in the square outside the basilica.

10:54 a.m.
An act followed in Russia and Ukraine

Catholics in the Russian capital Moscow are gathering today to pray and follow the live feed of the act of consecration. They are meeting at Immaculate Conception Cathedral, a building with a turbulent history.

Ukrainian Catholics will also be praying the act of consecration, which has been shared on the website of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, based in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

Andrii Yurash, Ukraine’s ambassador to the Holy See, has tweeted this:

10:44 a.m.
The ‘sacrament of joy’

The penitential service includes the opportunity for individual confession. Here are the confessors arriving in the basilica.

In his homily, Pope Francis spoke about confession, describing it as “the sacrament of joy.”

10:34 a.m.
The meaning of the act of consecration

The act of consecration is long and theologically rich. Here are five things to know about it.

Some commentators have raised questions about a phrase found in some non-English versions of the text. The phrase, “Earth of Heaven,” is present in the Spanish text (“tierra del Cielo”) and the Italian translation (“terra del Cielo”).

The Vatican has issued an explanation of the phrase. You can find it here.

10:24 a.m.
The statue of Mary inside St. Peter’s Basilica

Pope Francis is expected to stand before this statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary as he reads the act of consecration. The act is available on the Vatican website in an impressive 36 languages, including Ukrainian and Russian. The pope is expected to make the act of consecration in Italian.

10:14 a.m.
A guide to the penitential service

Here is the booklet for the penitential service and act of consecration given to members of the congregation inside St. Peter’s Basilica. You can see the contents here.

10:12 a.m.
How to watch live

If you’d like to watch the consecration live, we encourage you to tune in via EWTN.

The pope is expected to recite the act of consecration at around 6:30 p.m. local time.

When is 6:30 p.m. Rome time for you? There’s a handy cheat sheet here.

10:08 a.m.
Inside the basilica

This was the scene inside the basilica ahead of the penitential service and act of consecration.

Here are the preparations, as seen by our reporters at the basilica:

09:55 a.m.
Welcome to readers

Welcome to CNA’s live coverage of the momentous global act of consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our reporters are inside St. Peter’s Basilica, where a penitential service will begin shortly, followed by the consecration.