On October 31, 1942, in the dramatic context of the Second World War, Pope Pius XII pronounced one of the most transcendent prayers of his pontificate: the consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Through a radio message addressed to Portugal on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the apparitions of Fatima, the Holy Father finally responded to the call that the Virgin had made to the little shepherds in 1917.
It was the year when totalitarian armies were ravaging Europe and the world was living amid ruins and despair. In that scenario, Pius XII raised his voice from Rome to remind that Christian hope does not die, because it is anchored in God and entrusted to Mary’s maternal Heart.
“To you, to your Immaculate Heart, we entrust, deliver, and consecrate the world”
In his prayer, Pope Eugene Pacelli addressed words to the Virgin that still resonate with prophetic force: “To you, to your Immaculate Heart, we entrust, deliver, and consecrate not only the Holy Church, Mystical Body of your Son, but also the entire world, torn apart by fierce discords”.
With this formula, pronounced from St. Peter’s Basilica and broadcast by radio to Fatima, the Pontiff placed humanity under the protection of the Virgin Mary, asking for her intercession to obtain peace and the conversion of hearts. Although the act did not expressly mention Russia—as Our Lady had requested—it was the first decisive step toward fulfilling that heavenly request.
Fatima and the promise of peace
According to the testimony of Lucia dos Santos, the only surviving visionary of Fatima at that time, heaven welcomed the Pope’s gesture with favor. In a letter addressed to the then Secretary of State, Cardinal Luigi Maglione, Sister Lucia stated that God “promised to shorten the days of war” as a sign of benevolence in response to the consecration.
Two years later, in 1944, Pope Pius XII also consecrated all of humanity to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and in 1952, with the apostolic letter Sacro Vergente Anno, he specifically consecrated the peoples of Russia, thus more fully fulfilling the Virgin’s request. These decisions confirmed his deep spiritual bond with the message of Fatima and his total trust in Mary’s maternal mediation.
The Pope of Fatima
The pontificate of Pius XII (1939–1958) was marked by that Marian dimension. It was he who instituted in 1944 the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the entire Church and who, in 1950, solemnly proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption of the Most Holy Virgin. His devotion to the Rosary and to Our Lady of Fatima was constant, to the point of being known as “the Pope of Fatima”.
During the postwar years, the Pontiff insisted that the true reconstruction of the world would only be possible if nations returned to God and trusted in the power of the Immaculate Heart. “In this refuge, peoples and souls will find salvation”, he said.
A consecration still relevant today
Eighty-three years later, the echo of that act remains current. In a world once again shaken by wars, violence, and apostasy, Pius XII’s consecration reminds us that there is no peace without conversion, nor conversion without prayer. History shows that when men turn away from God, evil prevails; but when they return to Him through Mary, grace pours forth with force.
In times of spiritual confusion and moral crisis, that gesture of Pope Pacelli shines like a beacon. His prayer was a proclamation of faith in the face of chaos, an act of hope in the face of the destructive power of hatred, and a testimony of filial love toward the Mother of God.
Perhaps that is why his voice from October 31, 1942, continues to resonate today with the same urgency: “Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, conqueror of all God’s battles… welcome this shattered world and bring it back to Christ”.
Pope Pius XII’s Prayer of Consecration (October 31, 1942)
“Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, conqueror of all God’s battles, to You, to Your Immaculate Heart, we entrust, deliver, and consecrate not only the Holy Church, Mystical Body of your Son, but also the entire world, torn by discords, scorched by hatred, victim of its own iniquity.
Make us feel your merciful protection; keep us from every error; guide our steps with maternal love; grant peace to the world; make your love reign in the hearts of men, in families, and in nations.
And finally, show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.”