By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY, (Reuters) – Pope Francis led Friday’s prayer for peace between Russia & Ukraine. He said that the world has forgotten about the horrors of the 20th Century and is still threatened by nuclear war.

Francis was the presider at the service held in St. Peter’s Basilica. He entrusted all mankind, especially Russia and Ukraine, to Mary. Mary is believed by Christians to be the Mother of God, and can help him in heaven.

Around the same time thousands of Bishops from cathedrals and churches around the globe were simultaneously reading the same prayer, in different languages. This resulted in the largest coordinated Church events in modern times.

Francis also spoke in a separate sermon before the prayer was recited. He described “scenes death”, where “bombs are devastating the homes of many of our defenseless Ukrainian sisters and brothers” as well as “a cruel, senseless war that menaces the world.”

The two Russian and Ukrainian ambassadors to Vatican were present, sitting separately on opposite sides of the aisle.

Russia’s invasion of its neighbour, February 24, in what Russia calls a special military operation, has been implicitly criticised by the Pope. He strongly condemned what he called “unjustified aggression” as well as denouncing “atrocities”, but has not named Russia.

On Friday, he used Russian and Russians words as part of both a prayer and a sermon.

“We have lost the lessons from the tragedies of last century, and the sacrifice of millions who died in two world conflicts… we have shut ourselves in nationalist interest,” said the pope in his prayer. The formal title of this prayer was “An act of consecration to Immaculate Heart of Mary”.

It condemned the use of nuclear weapons and other destructive actions on the earth, as well as greed, abortion, and the spreading of abortion. Mary was asked by the act to end hatred and seek revenge. She also had to forgive us, teach us forgiveness and protect the world from nuclear weapon threats.

Visvaldas Kulbokas from the Vatican, who is in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, stated that before Friday’s event, he would pray the prayer using a small altar built in a kitchen of the safe room at the Embassy in Kyiv.

LINK WITH FATIMA

The papal envoy to Fatima was Cardinal Konrad Krajewski. He is one of the closest aides to Pope Francis.

Fatima and Friday’s consecration are essential for understanding their religious as well as political implications.

According to Church doctrine, Mary asked for Russia’s consecration in Mary’s apparition of July 13 1917. Otherwise, Russia would have “spread its errors around the world, causing persecutions of Church” and “various nations are going to be destroyed”.

The “Message of Fatima” was a point of rallying for Christians against communism after the 1917 Russian revolution.

Similar consecrations of the earth were also performed by previous popes in 1962, 1954, 1981, 1982, and 1984.

Some Church traditionalists, who usually oppose Francis, welcomed the pope’s decision that Friday’s consecration would be performed. Some Church traditionalists, who generally oppose Francis, believe that some of the earlier consecrations were invalid because they didn’t follow Mary’s directives to visionary children.