Scotland has been consecrated to Our Lady, by the Scottish Bishops, with the full support of the Scottish Parliament. The consecration took place at the shrine of Our Lady at Carfin, in the Diocese of Motherwell, attended by a large crowd gathered from across Scotland.
“We consecrate Scotland to you, all that we have, all that we love, all that we are,” said the bishops at the event. “To you we give our minds and hearts, our bodies and souls. We willingly place at your service our homes and our families, our parishes and schools: we desire that all that is in us and around us may belong to you, O Mary, and may share in the benefits of your motherly care.”
This is an event unique in Scotland’s history, and comes at a time when there is a strong sense of honoring the nation’s history and identity. It is also unique in that it directly and pointedly contradicts the Reformation principles of John Knox who would have strenuously opposed this takeover by the Catholic Church.
A motion passed by the Scottish Parliament says: “That the Parliament recognizes that Scotland’s Catholic bishops will consecrate the nation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on 3 September 2017; understands that the bishops will pray for Scotland at the Marian Shrine at the Carfin Grotto, near Motherwell, asking that Scotland be energized with a renewed desire to seek the truth, and understands that at the same time they will pray for all parliamentarians and government, so that they will play their part in building a true civilization of love and strive to create a place where all people are valued, a place where poor, lonely and marginalized people are not forgotten, and a place where people are free to practice their faith.”
Bishop John Keenan of Paisley said, “The Scottish Bishops are the successors of the Apostles in Scotland. Gathering as a College of Bishops in union with Peter, and in whom resides the spiritual authority over Scotland, they invoke this authority for our country to make recourse and intercession to our Mother Mary’s Heart, sure that she will not fail to come to our aid but will entrust us to the care of her beloved Son.”
One of the Apostles of Scotland was Columba, known to Catholics as St. Columba. He was the one who evangelized Scotland for Christ in the 6th century. Columba was no advocate of the theology and practices of Roman Catholicism. So, the bishops would not be able to be one of his successors. Nor would they be the successors of any of Columba’s compatriots, students and missionaries. They are the successors to the falsified history created when the Catholic monks came to Scotland and through deception created the impression that Columba was in fact, a Roman Catholic missionary monk to Scotland.
The consecration is directly linked to Mary’s requests at Fatima. England — long honored as “Mary’s Dowry” following a dedication to her from pre-Reformation times — will be formally consecrated to her in two years’ time, and the English Bishops have proclaimed a period of prayer and preparation for this event.
The consecration of Scotland to Mary comes at a time when issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion on demand have been taking center stage in Scottish politics. There has been much concern about the rights of those who disagree with the official promotion of same-sex marriage and abortion and who face discrimination at work or in holding public office.
Bishop Keenan said, “We must come to Mary and ask her to drive from our land the darnel that the Devil has sown amongst the good wheat of our Christian faith, to cast down the schemes of the enemies of religion, that Christian moral life may be restored, that freedom of conscience be respected and that Scottish Catholics may fearlessly resist error by witnessing courageously to the Faith.”
The fact that parliament has supported this, suggests that Roman Catholicism is back in control of the Roman Catholic Church. She has recovered her lost supremacy in this region of Britain. Protestants may be interested in recovering lost ground to secular interests like same-sex marriage and abortion, among other things, but Rome has larger interests.
“And let it be remembered, it is the boast of Rome that she never changes. The principles of Gregory VII and Innocent III are still the principles of the Roman Catholic Church. And had she but the power, she would put them in practice with as much vigor now as in past centuries. Protestants little know what they are doing when they propose to accept the aid of Rome in the work of Sunday exaltation. While they are bent upon the accomplishment of their purpose, Rome is aiming to re-establish her power, to recover her lost supremacy.” The Great Controversy, page 581.