Consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

This afternoon we joined the congregation at the Cathedral of the Holy Family, the cathedral of the Ukrainian Greek Eparchy in London, for the prayer of consecration of the entire human family, and particularly Ukraine and Russia, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Cathedral was pleasantly full, with a congregation made up of both parishioners of the Cathedral and people like ourselves who had come for the particular occasion. The ceremony was presided over by the Bishop; representatives from the Church of England and the Ukrainian embassy were present.

There were two points about the service that struck me. The first was the three-fold prostration and signing of themselves with the sign of the Cross undertaken by the faithful as they came in to the Church. The Roman Rite single genuflection appears very half-hearted in comparison. The second was the way in which the whole service (with the exception of the homily) was essentially sung, or at least said in a style of chant. So, where the Roman Rite might have prayed the prayer of consecration by saying it, here it was prayed in a style of chant, using just two tones in reflection of the sentence structure.

Therefore, Mother of God and our Mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the Church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine.  Accept this act that we carry out with confidence and love.  Grant that war may end and peace spread throughout the world.  The “Fiat” that arose from your heart opened the doors of history to the Prince of Peace.  We trust that, through your heart, peace will dawn once more.  To you we consecrate the future of the whole human family, the needs and expectations of every people, the anxieties and hopes of the world.

Through your intercession, may God’s mercy be poured out on the earth and the gentle rhythm of peace return to mark our days.  Our Lady of the “Fiat”, on whom the Holy Spirit descended, restore among us the harmony that comes from God.  May you, our “living fountain of hope”, water the dryness of our hearts.  In your womb Jesus took flesh; help us to foster the growth of communion.  You once trod the streets of our world; lead us now on the paths of peace.  Amen.

Writing to the Bishops throughout the world to invite them to join with him in making the act of consecration, Pope Francis wrote:

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. 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 25 March, so that God’s Holy People may raise a heartfelt and choral plea to Mary our Mother. I am sending you the text of the prayer of consecration, so that all of us can recite it throughout that day, in fraternal union.

The full text of the prayer of consecration can be found at the Holy See website: here. The ceremony from St Peter's Basilica can be watched on Youtube - the act of consecration occurs from 1:35:00, having been preceded by a penitential service with individual confessions.