Pope Francis will ask all of the world’s bishops to join him in consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation.

Archbishop Christopher Pierre, the apostolic nuncio in the United States, disclosed the Pope’s plan in a March 17 letter addressed to Archbishop José Gomez, the president of the US bishops’ conference. He said that the Pope would send a letter to all bishops, including the text of the prayer of consecration. He will ask the bishops, with their priests, “to join in this act of consecration, if possible, at an hour corresponding to 5 pm Rome time,” when the Pontiff himself will be making the consecration.

Earlier this week the Pope had announced his own intention to make the act of consecration, “as requested by the Blessed Virgin at Fatima,” in response to a plea from the Catholic bishops of Ukraine.

Sister Lucia, one of the Fatima seers, reported that the Virgin Mary had asked for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart. Sister Lucia testified in 1989 that Pope John Paul II had fulfilled the terms of the Virgin’s request. However, some Catholics have expressed lingering doubts, since the 1984 consecration was not made by all the world’s bishops and did not explicitly mention Russia. The renewed act of consecration, made in concert with the world’s bishops, would seem to remove any doubt that the Virgin’s request has been fulfilled.

Archbishop Pierre said that in the US, all members of the diplomatic corps will be invited to attend a Mass on the feast day in Washington, at which Cardinal Wilton Gregory will make the act of consecration.