Why do wars rage after the Fatima consecration?
SIR – Donal Foley’s Fatima thesis is dissonant (Feature, October 7). According to Mr Foley, the consecration has been done in 1984. Please observe the words of Mary on the consecration: “To prevent this , I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. If My requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church.”Mr Foley says the consecration has been done but then goes on to describe how we do not have any peace. He refers to those things we should do to get peace but misses out the obvious: a proper and explicit consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in union with bishops of the world, as God through Our Lady requested: “In which God asks the Holy Father, in union with all the Bishops of the world, to make the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by this means” (June 6, 1929).
One may argue that a partial consecration was done in 1984, hence the fall of the Berlin Wall. But until scholars admit it has not been fully done – eg without the mention of Russia there will be no peace – next year’s celebrations will be hollow.
My challenge to scholars like Mr Foley is to ask for the consecration to be done again with the country “Russia” explicitly mentioned. Not only would they be putting the argument to rest, they would also be pleasing Our Lady and God’s explicit words, which will bring about a peace in keeping with the dignity of the Immaculate’s words, not the absence of peace since 1984.
Yours faithfully,
Adrian Dulston
By email
Bishops who say no
SIR – The story recounted by David Bereit, founder of 40 Days for Life, to Pastor Iuventus (October 7), of how faith-filled prayers of pro-lifers effectively exorcised a former abortion clinic, reminds us just who the enemy really is in the fight for the poorest of the poor, the unborn.I only wish certain prelates, such as Blaise Cupich (who prohibited his clergy and seminarians from participating in vigils) and Nunzio Galantino, who does not identify himself “with the motionless faces of those who pray the rosary outside of clinics”, could read it, and, better still, spiritually aid such supernatural battles.
Yours faithfully,
Edmund Adamus
Redhill, Surrey
St Paul: anti-elitist
SIR – In his excellent article (Cover story, October 7), RR Reno quotes from St Augustine and also refers to Plato. He might just as easily have quoted from St Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 1:18 to 2:10) where he has similar views and denounces the leaders of his day, “the political elite”, for lack of godly wisdom. “For if they had they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor 2:8).Yours faithfully,
John Lovett
Aiskew, North Yorkshire
Say yes to grace
SIR – Sorry to see that Elizabeth Price (Letter, September 30) once attended a seminar at Upholland that was not only misleading, but displayed a certain disobedience to the discipline of the Catholic Church regarding receiving Holy Communion. “Be not deceived,” as St Paul would say.Mrs Price tries to put a positive spin on the whole issue, but the latter is not for Catholics “living in a state of sin”. We must not be misguided here.
Our Lady is saying (in our time) that we should have more reverence and respect towards the Eucharist. We should not descend to a type of “cheap grace” that other denominations seem to have.
“Actual grace” draws Catholics to confess their sins and amend their lives accordingly. It is nothing about lenient or lax popes, or people having a “generosity of thought”. Light and truth is what we aim for, not compromise and “watering down” of our Catholic faith.
As St Pope John Paul II acknowledged, marriage annulments are essential.
Sorry, Mrs Price, but Deacon John Wakeling’s discerning letter (September 30), has actually pinpointed the real truth behind this whole issue.
Yours faithfully,
Diarmuid Collins
London N22
No liberation
SIR – Fr Ronald Rolheiser raises interesting questions concerning sexual activity (The Last Word, September 30). My starting point is different. For me, the Voice of Conscience is the vital issue, with its vibrations echoing that sexuality is for the promotion of offspring. So I do not doubt that any other nuance is a sort of cover-up from which there is no eventual liberation. I could not be induced to take up another stance or set of ideas which I know would not have the ring of truth about them. Moreover, whatever oxygen is currently flowing from “partners”, straight or gay, I am convinced could never begin to match the reality of that grace and love which springs from following the aboriginal Vicar of Christ, the Voice of Conscience, which accords perfectly with the teaching of Our Saviour.Have no doubt, Father, there is nothing lacking beyond our great need always to grow into the Lord’s wonderful teaching.
Yours faithfully,
Fr Bryan Storey
St Paul the Apostle, Tintagel, Cornwall
Lost in translation
SIR – All your readers must have enjoyed, as I did, Bishop Barron’s account of his time at Rome’s “baby bishop school” (Feature, September 30), attended by 157 newly appointed bishops from all over the world. I especially admired his courage and accomplishment in tackling three or four of the gathering’s many languages. Having modestly classed his own language skills as “only OK”, he went on very credibly to say how he moved “from English to decent French to mediocre Spanish to terrible Italian”. The heroic performance left me with only one question: what happened to Latin?Yours faithfully,
Alexander Murray
University College, Oxford
A winter mission
SIR – John Wilkins (Feature, September 16) is right to remind us of the links between St Francis and birdwatching. Feeding garden birds during the winter is also an uplifting activity. It helps to illustrate our role as instruments of God’s providence (Mt 6:26), when their other foods are in short supply.Yours faithfully,
Benjamin Hazard
By email
