"In April 1990 Juan Diego was declared Blessed by the Vatican. The following month, during his second visit to the Basilica of Guadalupe, John Paul II performed the beatification ceremony. And finally in July 2002 Juan Diego was canonized, during a ceremony celebrated also by John Paul II, in the Basilica of Guadalupe.
"This event flared up a debate, which had been off and on since the 18th century about the historical authenticity of Juan Diego. Critics have argued that the Spanish Franciscans in Mexico make no mention of him or the alleged apparitions of Our Lady prior to 1648, raising questions as to why they would be silent about such an important event.
"The Vatican subsequently established a commission of 30 researchers from various countries to investigate the question. The results of their research were presented to the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints on Oct. 28, 1998 and according to the commission it successfully proved that Juan Diego had indeed existed. Among the research documents submitted were 27 Indian documents regarding Guadalupe, which among other things contained the alleged death certificate of Juan Diego. Regarding the lack of historic evidence for nearly 20-years following the Guadalupe events, the researchers claimed that many Indian documents from that era were destroyed, in part due to a paper shortage, or lost in the great Mexico City fire of 1692.
"This evidence has however been questioned by other historians and a polemical spirit tends to prevail over documentary research regarding Juan Diego and the Guadalupe events."
On October 7, 1571, a great victory over the mighty Turkish fleet was won by Catholic naval forces primarily from Spain, Venice, and Genoa under the command of Don Juan of Austria. It was the last battle at sea between "oared" ships, which featured the most powerful navy in the world, a Moslem force with between 12,000 to 15,000 Christian slaves as rowers. The patchwork team of Catholic ships was powered by the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Knowing that the Christian forces were at a distinct material disadvantage, the holy pontiff, St. Pope Pius V called for all of Europe to pray the Rosary for victory. We know today that the victory was decisive, prevented the Islamic invasion of Europe, and evidenced the Hand of God working through Our Lady. At the hour of victory, St. Pope Pius V, who was hundreds of miles away at the Vatican, is said to have gotten up from a meeting, went over to a window, and exclaimed with supernatural radiance: "The Christian fleet is victorious!" and shed tears of thanksgiving to God.
What you may not know is that one of three admirals commanding the Catholic forces at Lepanto was Andrea Doria. He carried a small copy of Mexico's Our Lady of Guadalupe into battle. This image is now enshrined in the Church of San Stefano in Aveto, Italy. Not many know that at the Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spain, one can view a huge warship lantern that was captured from the Moslems in the Battle of Lepanto. In Rome, look up to the ceiling of S. Maria in Aracoeli and behold decorations in gold taken from the Turkish galleys. In the Doges' Palace in Venice, Italy, one can witness a giant Islamic flag that is now a trophy from a vanquished Turkish ship from the Victory. At Saint Mary Major Basilica in Rome, close to the tomb of the great St. Pope Pius V, one was once able to view yet another Islamic flag from the Battle, until 1965, when it was returned to Istanbul in an intended friendly token of concord.