The Catholic Defender: Today, the news across America, the "No Kings" protest are filled with the woke and communist groups opposing President Trump and siding with Iran. Red Dawn comes to mind

Home grown communists, socialists wanting to bring in the movement that began with the  Bolsheviks

The Bolsheviks (from the Russian bolshinstvo, meaning "majority") were a radical far-left faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP). Founded in 1903 by Vladimir Lenin, they eventually became the sole ruling party of the Soviet Union after seizing power during the October Revolution of 1917.

Origins (1903): The Bolsheviks split from the Mensheviks ("minority") at the 2nd Party Congress in London. The core disagreement was over party membership: Lenin wanted a small, highly disciplined party of "professional revolutionaries," while his opponent Julius Martov favored a broader, more open organization.

They were committed to Leninism, a variant of Marxism which argued that a "vanguard party" must lead the working class (proletariat) to overthrow capitalism and establish a "dictatorship of the proletariat".

Capitalizing on the instability following the February Revolution and the unpopularity of Russia's continued involvement in World War I, the Bolsheviks used the slogan "Peace, Land, and Bread" to gain mass support among workers and soldiers.

After overthrowing the Provisional Government in October 1917, they fought and won a brutal Russian Civil War (1917–1922) against the "White Army" (monarchists, capitalists, and moderate socialists) and foreign interventionists.

Transformation: In 1918, they renamed themselves the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks).

The party eventually became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) in 1952, dropping the "Bolshevik" label from its official name at that time.

Established the world's first socialist state based on Marxist principles.

Estimates of the number of people who died under communist regimes in the 20th century vary widely, ranging from roughly 10 million to 148 million. The most frequently cited figure in popular discourse is 100 million, popularized by The Black Book of Communism (1997), which attributed approximately 94 million deaths to communist states.

China: Estimated 40 million to 80 million deaths. The single largest contributor was the Great Leap Forward (1958–1962), a disastrous agricultural and industrial campaign that led to a famine killing between 30 million and 45 million people.

Soviet Union: Estimated 20 million to 61 million deaths. Key events include the Holodomor (a man-made famine in Ukraine that killed 3.3 to 5 million), the Great Purge (roughly 700,000 to 1.2 million executions), and deaths in the Gulag labor camp system (1.5 to 1.7 million).

Instituted radical social changes, including the nationalization of industry and redistribution of land to peasants.

At Fatima in 1917, the Virgin Mary warned that Russia would "spread her errors throughout the world" if her requests for prayer and consecration were not heeded.

During the apparition on July 13, 1917, Mary told the three shepherd children that Russia would become an instrument of "chastisement" to punish the world for its sins. She prophesied that if people did not stop offending God

A worse war than World War I would break out.

Russia would spread errors, causing further wars and persecutions of the Church.

The Holy Father would have much to suffer, and various nations would be annihilated.

While the message did not use the word "communism," it occurred just months before the Bolshevik Revolution. Catholic interpretations, including those from the Holy See, generally identify these "errors"

Atheistic Totalitarianism: The systematic rejection of God and suppression of religious freedom.

Materialism: A philosophy prioritizing physical goods over spiritual life.

 Some scholars include the destruction of the traditional family and the spread of Marxist ideologies. 

Mary promised that "In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph" and that Russia would eventually be converted to bring a "period of peace" to the world. To achieve this, she specifically requested

At Fatima in 1917, the Virgin Mary warned that Russia would "spread her errors throughout the world"—widely interpreted as the spread of atheistic communism and its accompanying persecutions—if her requests were not heeded. To prevent this and bring world peace, she specifically called for the daily recitation of the Rosary and the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart.

The Warning for Russia: Mary foretold that Russia would provoke wars and persecutions of the Church, leading to the martyrdom of the good and the suffering of the Holy Father.

In every one of her six appearances, she emphasized, "Pray the Rosary every day to bring peace to the world and an end to the war".

She asked for Russia to be consecrated to her Immaculate Heart by the Pope in union with all the world's bishops.

She promised that if these requests were fulfilled, Russia would be converted and a "period of peace" would be granted to the world. 

The apparitions occurred between May and October 1917, coinciding with the peak of World War I and the months immediately preceding the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. At the time, the children initially thought "Russia" was the name of a person who needed prayers. On October 13, 1917, during her final appearance, she identified herself as "Our Lady of the Rosary"

The perceived battle between Our Lady of Fatima and Communism is rooted in the "Second Secret" of Fatima, revealed during the 1917 apparitions in Portugal. In this message, the Virgin Mary reportedly warned that if her requests were not heeded, Russia would "spread her errors throughout the world," causing wars and persecutions of the Church.

The "Errors of Russia": While the term "communism" was not explicitly used in the original 1917 message, it is widely understood by the Church and scholars to refer to the militant atheism, materialism, and totalitarianism that followed the Russian Revolution just months later.

Spiritual vs. Material: The battle is framed as a conflict between a system that denies God (Communism) and a call to return to God through prayer, penance, and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

A central point of the Fatima message was the request for the Pope and bishops to consecrate Russia to Mary's Immaculate Heart. Supporters believe this act was essential to prevent the spread of communist ideology.

In Catholic theology and historical interpretation, the relationship between Communism and Our Lady of Fatima is framed as a cosmic struggle between good and evil.

Mary warned that if Russia were not consecrated to her, it would "spread its errors throughout the world," leading to wars and persecutions of the Church. This is widely understood by Catholics to refer to the spread of atheistic Communism.

The Vision of Hell: The first secret was a vision of Hell, which served as a warning about the spiritual consequences of turning away from God.

Persecution and Martyrdom: The prophecies included the suffering of the Holy Father and the martyrdom of the "good" at the hands of oppressive ideologies.

The Lord Jesus Christ and The Blessed Virgin Mary through their love offers grace to avoid hell.

Pray the Rosary, for America and for President Trump and our Military.