America consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

At their Spring Plenary Assembly in Orlando, the U.S. bishops consecrated the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus during a late-afternoon Mass on June 11 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe. The act was timed to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, tying the nation's founding to an explicitly devotional appeal rather than a merely civic one. The bishops are also encouraging parishes to mark the anniversary with 250 hours of adoration and 250 works of mercy.

A reliquary of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the great apostle of the Sacred Heart, was venerated beforehand, anchoring the gesture in centuries-old devotion. For Catholics who lament a Church too eager to dissolve into secular language, an unabashed entrustment of the country to Christ the King is a welcome reassertion of where sovereignty ultimately lies.