On July 7, on the occasion of the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, apostles of the Slavic peoples, Pope Pius XII published the Apostolic Letter addressed to the peoples of Russia:
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And we, so that our fervent prayers and yours may more easily be heard, and to give you a special testimony of our particular benevolence, just as a few years ago we consecrated the entire human race to the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
so today we consecrate and in a most special manner we entrust all the peoples of Russia to this Immaculate Heart, with the firm hope that soon, thanks to the all-powerful patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the wishes which we form with all of you and all good men may be happily fulfilled, for a true peace, fraternal concord and the liberty due to all, and in the first place to the Church. Thus by our prayer, united to your own and that of the whole Christian people, the Kingdom of the Saviour Jesus Christ will be firmly established over all the earth: «A Kingdom of truth and life, a Kingdom of holiness and grace, a Kingdom of justice, love and peace.»
9.
Consecration all the peoples of Russia to Immaculate Heart
And therefore we, in order that Our and your prayers may be more easily answered, and in order to give you a special attestation of our benevolence, in the same way as a few years ago We consecrated the entire world to the immaculate Heart of the virgin Mother of God, so now, in a very special way, consecrate all peoples of Russia to the very same immaculate Heart, in the safe confidence that with the extremely powerful protection of the virgin Mary the wishes expressed by Us, by you and by every good person for a true peace for fraternal concord and due freedom for everyone and for the Church in the first place, may be answered as soon as possible;
in such a manner that, through the prayer that We send up to Heaven together with you and all Christians, the reign of Christ, harbinger of salvation, which is “kingdom of truth and life, kingdom of sainthood and grace, kingdom of justice, of love and of peace”, may triumph and steadily consolidate itself everywhere on earth”
Original text (ital.)
9.
Consacrazione dei popoli della Russia al Cuore immacolato di Maria
Noi, pertanto, affinché più facilmente le Nostre e le vostre preghiere siano esaudite, e per darvi un singolare attestato della Nostra particolare benevolenza, come pochi anni fa abbiamo consacrato tutto il mondo al Cuore immacolato della vergine Madre di Dio, così ora, in modo specialissimo, consacriamo tutti i popoli della Russia al medesimo Cuore immacolato, nella sicura fiducia che col potentissimo patrocinio di Maria vergine quanto prima si avverino felicemente i voti, che Noi, che voi, che tutti i buoni formano per una vera pace, per una fraterna concordia e per la dovuta libertà a tutti e in primo luogo alla chiesa;
in maniera che, mediante la preghiera che Noi innalziamo insieme con voi e con tutti i cristiani, il regno salvifico di Cristo, che è «regno di verità e di vita, regno di santità e di grazia, regno di giustizia, di amore e di pace»,(8)
in ogni parte della terra trionfi e si consolidi stabilmente.
