(ZENIT News / Baltimore, 11.13.2025).- In a move both symbolic and deeply spiritual, the bishops of the United States have voted to consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as part of the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations in 2026. The decision, taken by an overwhelming majority during the U.S. bishops’ General Assembly on November 11 (215 in favor, 8 opposed), marks a rare convergence of civic commemoration and religious renewal—an invitation to see the founding ideals of the nation through the prism of faith and mercy.
The act of consecration will take place on June 12, 2026, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, or possibly the evening before, during the bishops’ spring gathering in Orlando. The date will arrive just weeks before the Fourth of July, when Americans will mark a quarter-millennium since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
For the Church, it is more than a ceremonial gesture. Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne–South Bend, who leads the bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, described the consecration as an acknowledgment of Christ’s kingship over human hearts and societies alike—a theme first articulated by Pope Pius XII, who saw in the Sacred Heart devotion a call to shape civilization according to divine love.
Pius XII, in his encyclical on the devotion, wrote that the Heart of Jesus should be regarded as “the source and symbol of unity, salvation, and peace.” That same spiritual current, said Bishop Rhoades, flows through Pope Francis’s more recent reflection on the Sacred Heart. In his encyclical Dilexit Nos (“He Loved Us”), Francis describes the Heart of Christ as “the deepest and most personal source of His love for us,” the wellspring of faith and the renewal of Christian life.
For Catholics, devotion to the Sacred Heart is one of the most intimate expressions of trust in divine compassion—a way of responding to a love that is both tender and absolute. To consecrate an entire nation, then, is to bind its people, institutions, and aspirations to that same love. While the United States has long been under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception, this will be the first time it is formally consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Similar acts of dedication have taken place across the world. Earlier this year, the bishops of Ireland renewed their country’s consecration to the Sacred Heart—first made more than a century and a half ago—underscoring how the devotion continues to bridge generations and cultures.
For the U.S. bishops, the timing is not incidental. As the nation prepares to commemorate its founding, they hope the act will serve as both reflection and renewal: a reminder that liberty without love risks becoming isolation, and that the freedom envisioned in 1776 ultimately finds its deepest roots in the Gospel’s call to communion and service.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops summarized the intention succinctly in its announcement: “Through this act of consecration, the bishops seek to renew devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to acknowledge the kingship of Christ, perfecting the temporal order through the spirit of the Gospel.”
In preparation for June 2026, a nationwide novena will be held, accompanied by catechetical resources, parish initiatives, and opportunities for the faithful to engage through adoration and works of mercy.
The selected Scripture for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart will echo the very heart of this endeavor: “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God, and God in him.”
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