**At dawn, on October 7, 1571, as recorded in the Vatican Archives, Pope Pius V, accompanied by a group of the faithful, entered the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to pray the Rosary and ask Our Lady to intercede for a Catholic victory. The prayers continued in Rome as the Catholic and Moslem fleets battled far away in the Gulf of Lepanto.**
Most important part of this entire story.
Pray the Rosary today!
At dawn, on October 7, 1571, as recorded in the Vatican Archives, Pope Pius V, accompanied by a group of the faithful, entered the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to pray the Rosary and ask Our Lady to intercede for a Catholic victory."
Lepanto certainly was a great victory, but all the Orthodox East save for much of Russia remained under the heel of the Mohammaden Turks. It wasn't until March 25, 1821 when my ancestors rose up against the Turks, that the real death knell of the Ottoman Empire was sounded.
Interestingly (and tellingly!), it was Archbishop Germanos, at the Agia Lavras monastery in the northern Peloponnesus who, on March 25th, 1821 the Orthodox Feast of the Annunciation, called the Greeks to Holy War against the Turks. He gave them a banner of a white Cross, representing Christ on a sky blue backround representing the Holy Theotokos. the Mother of God, under which to fight. My ancestors added the words "NIKH H THANATOS, Victory or Death to the battle banners. The Archbishop placed all the fighters and the Greek people under the protection of the Theotokos. To this day, in Greek minds, freedom from Mohammaden oppression and the intercessions of the Mother of God are intertwined. Your recommendation to pray to Panagia during this time of war with Islam is right on the money.
No thanks.