The Miracle At Lepanto...

unknown ^ | October 24, 1998 | unknown

[Sparta]

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Almost from the very beginning of Islam, there were wars upon wars between Christians and Moslems. We remember the Crusade wars, seven major and several minor, which lasted for centuries. This is the story of the Battle of Lepanto, which marked the end of the Crusades and was a turning point in the history of Christianity.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Charles Martel's victory at Poitiers definitely stopped the Moslem invasion of western Europe. In the east Christians held firm against attacks of the Moslems until 1453. In that year, Mohammed II threw huge assaults against Constantinople and by the evening of May 29 the Byzantine capital fell. By 1571 the Moslems were firmly installed in Europe. Their ships ruled the Mediterranean Sea from the Strait of Bosporus to the Strait of Gibraltar and constantly preyed on Christian vessels unless they flew the French flag.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pope Pius V, in the last year of his papacy in 1571, tried to rally the nations of Europe to join in a Holy League to stop and roll back the Moslem enemy which threatened the entire continent. Spain, whose King Philip II was also King of Austria, responded favorably. The Moslems were then engaged in the conquest of Cyprus, an island belonging to the Republic of Venice. Leading Venetian officials would have preferred to have worked out some peaceful-coexistence agreement with the Sultan, but under the crusading influence of Saint Pius V, they decided to join the Holy League along with the republics of Genoa and Lucca and the dukes of Savory, Parma, Ferrara and Urbino.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Papal fleet was of course part of the Holy Alliance. Pius V asked Philip to appoint Don John of Austria, the 25-year old son of Emperor Charles V, as commander-in-chief of a planned expedition against the Moslems. After receiving the banner of the Holy League from the Pope, through Cardinal Granvalla, Don John's fleet set sail from Genoa for Naples on June 26, 1571. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Few historians mention that just before the departure, Philip II presented Don John with a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe which she had caused to be miraculously imprinted on the cloak of the Indian peasant Juan Diego in Mexico 40 years before. Don John placed the picture in the chapel of the admiral-vessel, the Genoese John Andrew Doria, asking for Mary's protection of his expedition.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On September 16, the Christian fleet put to sea. Don John anchored off of Corfu where he learned that the Moslems had leveled entire towns and villages and then retreated to the coast of Lepanto in the Gulf of Corinth. At dawn on October 7, at the entrance to the Gulf of Patras, the Christian and Moslem fleets finally came face to face for the battle of Lepanto.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The wind and all military factors favored the Moslems, but Don John was confident. He boarded a fast ship for a final review of his fleet. He shouted encouraging words to the men and they shouted back. After Don John returned to his own position, the wind mysteriously changed to the advantage of the Christian fleet. First-hand witnesses wrote about this moment as a most dramatic turn-of-events resulting from an "unknown factor".

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At that very moment, at dawn on October 7, 1571--as Vatican Archives later revealed--Pope Pius V, accompanied by many faithful, was praying the Rosary in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. From dawn to dusk the prayers continued in Rome as the Christians and the Moslems battled at Lepanto. When it was all over the Moslems had been defeated. Of some 270 Moslem ships, at least 200 were destroyed. The Turks also lost 30,000 men while Christian casualties numbered between 4,000 and 5,000.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Rosary had won a great military victory. Like all truly great military leaders who hate war and love peace, Don John retired after his victory at Lepanto. He died a few years later at the age of 31. Another who took part in the great battle of Lepanto, Miguel de Cervantes, lived longer to write his famous tribute to Christian chivalry, Don Quixote.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Following the great Christian victory at Lepanto, Pope St. Pius V declared that henceforth a commemoration of the Rosary would be a part of the Vatican's Mass on every October 7. His successor, Pope Gregory XIII, went further. In 1573 he established the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary--to be celebrated at all Churches which had specific altars dedicated to the Rosary.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In 1671 Pope Clement X extended observance of the feast to all of Spain. Only 12 years later in 1683 the Moslems again swept into Europe. With 200,000 men, they laid siege to Vienna. After months of valiant resistance by a small garrison, the city was relieved by an army under John Sobieski, King of Poland. The Rosary, to which the King was dedicated, was again instrumental in a military victory. Pope Innocent XI consecrated September 12 of that year to the Holy Name of Mary. The Moslem hordes were hurled back yet again at Peterwardein in Hungary by Prince Eugene on the Feast of Out Lady of the Snows, August 5, 1716. As a result of this victory, Pope Clement XI extended the Feast of the Rosary to the Universal Church.

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[Restorer]

Don Quixote is obviously a work of multiple levels.

One of those, however, is a parody of centuries of European "romances," which as a literary form had become absolutely ridiculous. Cervantes blew the entire genre out of the water with a gust of fresh air.

[MattinNJ]

Thanks. I think you are right.

[justshutupandtakeit]

True, but the satire is not really of the Christian aspect of chivalry but rather the more fantastic notions of distant lands and beings. Cervantes was also captured at Lepanto and was held prisoner for some time before he was ransomed.

[profmike23]

Please add me to the list.

Thanks.

[r9etb]

Their ships ruled the Mediterranean Sea from the Strait of Bosporus to the Strait of Gibraltar and constantly preyed on Christian vessels unless they flew the French flag.

The more things change.....

[Vic3O3]

historical battle ping

[power2]

It seems far more likely that prayers to God will be more effective than planning or threatening to enter every Moslem nation that appears to pose a threat or house some band of terrorists. I cannot imagine a more certain way to ensure that terrorist attacks will increase than to try to show over a billion Muslims,spread all over the world,including our own country, who's boss.I call this present plan,MAD;mutually assured destruction.

I prefer the Lepanto Plan!!

Good thing neither Pope Pious V nor Don John shared your view, or they wouldn't have fought the muslims. The muslim aim hasn't changed in the last 600 years--they still intend to force you to convert or kill you. I think just standing around waiting for them is a mistake...and if a country is harboring terrorists that struck our citizens, then that country SHOULD and WILL pay a price.

[ninenot]

in 1683 the Moslems again swept into Europe. With 200,000 men, they laid siege to Vienna. After months of valiant resistance by a small garrison, the city was relieved by an army under John Sobieski, King of Poland. The Rosary, to which the King was dedicated, was again instrumental in a military victory. Pope Innocent XI consecrated September 12 of that year to the Holy Name of Mary

The battle was won on September 11th--adn 318 years later, the Muslims took their revenge at New York City.

[ninenot]

It is also clear why the Vatican has made such an effort to work WITH Moslem mullahs rather than AGAINST them on a variety of fronts. JPII wants them to understand that they and Christians have many common understandings (certainly a number of differences....but)...

[BohDaThone]

Read Chesterton's poem, "Lepanto

Excerpt, about Don John of Austria, the leader of the fleet attacking the Turkish Moslems:

It is he that saith not 'Kismet'; it is he that knows not Fate;
It is Richard, it is Raymond, it is Godfrey at the gate!
It is he whose loss is laughter when he counts the wager worth,
Put down your feet upon him, that our peace be on the earth."
For he heard drums groaning and he heard guns jar,
(Don John of Austria is going to the war.)
Sudden and still--hurrah!
Bolt from Iberia!

Lots of good analogies to today, as well as some of the most glorious, blood-thumping, adventure-laden language in all of poetry.

Full text at: http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Alley/5443/leppoem.htm

[saradippity]

I wonder if Pope Pius would have sent Don Juan off to battle if he thought that Don Juan's crews were infiltrated with unidentified Muslims,who were ready to die as they blew up Don Juan's ships at the onset of the battle.What do you think?

Or would Pope Pius have sent him into battle if he knew that the Muslims carried innocent women and children,Christian and Muslim,that would be killed with every hit Don Juan scored?

What about if both conditions existed?

We are looking to use old techniques in a much changed world. The old world is no more,why can't every one see that. Please understand that I am not advocating buckling to evil or a "peace at any cost" position. I am only asking that we take a close careful look at "cui bono",and reassess our operations in the light of reality.

[Da_Shrimp]

Lepanto bump, and Jan Sobieski bump too!

Without him and his winged hussars, who knows how things would have turned out?

[Publius6961]

BUMP

[Publius6961]

Cervantes lost his hand during the battle of Lepanto, and became known as the man of le mancha(sp?). I believe it's translated into the man with one hand in english.

Ummm.... no.

He was from the province of La Mancha in Spain.

His Spanish nickname "El Manco de Lepanto" has no direct equivalent in English and, yes, it does mean "missing one hand".

[desertcry]

And here they are again, 9.11.01!

[Tax-chick]

La Manche, "The Sleeve," back when Spanish and French were more closely related. But he didn't lose his arm, did he ...

[BohDaThone]

The Turkish galleys were largely rowed by Christian slaves (See the Chesterton poem, noted above), so part of your scenario of innocents being killed by the Christian attack was certainly true -- many of the slaves were killed, though many others were freed.

[pariah]

I've only ever come across the Depardieu version

The translation is by Brian Hooker, Bantam Books, first Edition, 1950.

[Jarhead_22]

That's reminiscent of the Amercan POWs in the Hanoi Hilton cheering as the complex was targeted by B-52s.

[nutmeg]

bump to read later