Proliferate is the strangeness. Many are the peculiar things of current times.

Coincidence?

One ponders the recent visit of Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, to the Vatican. It was on May 13 — anniversary of the first Fátima apparition.

That’s interesting, of course, because it was at Fátima that the Virgin Mary requested consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart and later (to Lúcia, the remaining seer) spelled out the procedure in detail.

While previous Pontiffs had conducted consecrations of error-prone Russia, only a year ago, March 25, 2022, was it finally conducted, by Pope Francis, according to every specific requirement from Heaven. March 25 was Feast of the Annunciation — that moment in which Christ was made incarnate in the immaculate womb.

The consecration was centered precisely on Mary’s pure nature (her Immaculate Heart, to which she asked the consecration be dedicated).

According to Lúcia, the Virgin Mary told her and her two cousin-seers, “I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart. If people attend to my requests, 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. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated.”

Last week Zelensky appeared too at the G-7 Summit in Japan, a group of the world’s more advanced economies (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, plus a representative from the European Union) that periodically discusses the most pressing global issues.

The topic this year was war in Ukraine, which many believe is reaching another potential turning point — as Francis attempts to bring about a peace plan.

Throughout the war, Russian president Vladimir Putin has threatened use of nuclear weapons — not just in Ukraine but against enemies elsewhere.

The G-7 would be among the targets, supplying as it has many of Ukraine’s weapons.

This in turn would mimic aspects of World War Two, with Germany and Russia in reverse roles (Russia now the chief antagonist).

Use of nuclear weaponry, again hearkening to Fátima) could cause “annihilation” of nations.

So two major Marian feast days have seen the Consecration occur and then a major player in a conflict involving Russia — the nation of the secrets — appear in Rome with the Pope, who is trying to bring about an end to the war. Meanwhile Russia threatens to use precisely the sort of weapons that could destroy entire nations — weapons not invented back in 1917 when Mary first issued her warning.

Let it also be recalled that the secrets of Fátima had to do precisely with World War One and World War Two, the latter of which was announced by a “great sign” that Sister Lucia says was the great aurora borealis of 1938.

Auroras have been prevalent again this year (if not at the magnitude of 1938).

Will there be peace?

Or will the two wars that bookended Fátima be now accompanied by precisely what Mary warned about: a third?

Zelensky’s visit to Japan bore a final irony, in this precise regard:

It was to Hiroshima.

The photo below of a nuclear test over Mururoa in the 1970s, and the two images in the billowing smoke and flame, are called to mind from time to time, the Virgin seemingly at the top left of cloud, her hands streaming down light, as portrayed also at the Miraculous Medal apparitions, and the Crucified Christ at the center of the cloud’s stem.

This brings roaring to mind the image in the Third Secret of Fátima, wherein a light from the Virgin overcame the fiery torch of an angel poised to set the world aflame.

Final irony: the Vatican just announced that Francis will again visit Fátima, this time on August 5 — anniversary of a famous apparition of Mary that established Mary Major Church in Rome — where the Pope goes to pray before every trip (and on a day some believe is Mary’s actual birthday). He had his pontificate consecrated to Our Lady of Fatima on May 13, 2013.

Will her light overcome fire again? Is there enough prayer (particularly in the way of the First Saturday devotion)?

[resources: Michael Brown retreat video, The Rising Tide and pilgrimage to Italy]