Islam, Terrorism & The Battle of Lepanto – 7 October: Feast of the Holy Rosary…
That light-hearted response to the threat to conquer Rome contrasts with the reaction here
The following extracts are taken from How the 1571 Battle of Lepanto saved Europe…
For those who know little history, today’s battle with the Islamic State in the Middle East may seem new and unprecedented. It is not.
In a.d. 622, Mohammed set out from Medina to conquer the whole Christian world for Allah by force of arms. Within a hundred years, his successors had occupied and pillaged every Christian capital of the Middle East, from Antioch through North Africa (home of Saint Augustine) and Spain. All that remained outside Allah’s reign was the northern arc from Southern France to Constantinople…
Even today, in the eyes of political Islamists, the expansion of Islam is far from finished. The dynamic obligation at the heart of their Islam is to conquer the world for Allah, and to incorporate it all into the great Islamic Umma. Only then will the world be at peace. Submission to Allah is the reason the world was created…
The Greatest Sea Battle in History: Lepanto, October 1571
For more than three years, Pope Pius V had labored mightily to sound alarms about the deadly Muslim buildup in the shipyards of Istanbul. The sultan had been stung by the surprising defeat of his overwhelming invasion force in Malta in 1565. The savagery of Muslim attacks on the coastal villages of Italy, Sicily, Dalmatia, and Greece was ratcheted upwards. Three or four Muslim galleys would offload hundreds of marines, who would sweep through a village, tie all its healthy men together for shipment out to become galley slaves, march away many of its women and young boys and girls for shipment to Eastern harems, and then gather all the elderly into the village church, where the helpless victims would be beheaded, and sometimes cut up into little pieces, to strike terror into other villages. The Muslims believed that future victims would lose heart and swiftly surrender when Muslim raiders arrived. Over three centuries, the number of European captives kidnapped from villages and beaches by these pirates climbed into the hundreds of thousands.
The reason for this kidnapping was that the naval appetite for fresh backs and muscles was insatiable. Most galley slaves lived little more than five years. They were chained to hard benches in the burning Mediterranean sun, slippery in their own excrement, urine, and intermittent vomiting, often never lying down to sleep. The dark vision that troubled the pope during the late 1560s was of even more horrible calamities to befall the whole Christian world, bit by bit. But unity in Europe was hard to find, and even more scarce was the will to fight for survival.
There is no point here in giving the whole narrative of the battle. Suffice it to say that in the center, the volleys from the galleasses out in front destroyed one Muslim vessel after another. ..
As news of the great victory of October 7 reached shore, church bells rang all over the cities and countryside of Europe. For months, Pius V had urged Catholics to say the daily rosary on behalf of the morale and good fortune of the Christian forces and, above all, for a successful outcome to the highly risky preemptive strike against the Turkish fleets. Thereafter, he declared that October 7 would be celebrated as the Feast of “Mary, Queen of Victory.” A later Pope added the title “Queen of the Most Holy Rosary” in honor of the laity’s favorite form of prayer. All over the Italian peninsula, great paintings were commissioned — whole galleries were dedicated — to honor the classic scenes of that epic battle. The air of Europe that October tasted of liberties preserved. The record of the celebrations lives on in glorious paintings by Titian, Tintoretto, and many others. Click here to read How the 1571 Battle of Lepanto saved Europe
Comment:
It is a well established fact that Our Lady won the Battle of Lepanto for the Christian armies, and so maybe it’s time to redouble our prayers, take Our Lady at her word and trust totally in the power of the Rosary to defeat heresies, and time, too, for us to remember the words of the Fatima seer, Sister Lucia, that there is no problem, whether temporal or spiritual that cannot be overcome by the power of the Rosary. That’s quite a promise.
So we learn plenty about the power of the rosary; Is there anything else to learn from the Battle of Lepanto in the context of the contemporary threat from Islamist terrorism? Are we, for example, praying sufficiently for the conversion of Muslims?
Comments (15)
We must pray for their conversion. Sister Lucia said that devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (especially the First Saturdays) and the Holy Rosary were the last two helps being given to mankind, so perhaps these should be our ‘first defence’ against the falsehoods of Islam.
The only prayer I know of which specifically mentions Islamism is the Consecration of the human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:
“Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thine altar. We are Thine, and Thine we wish to be; but, to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Thy most Sacred Heart.
Many indeed have never known Thee; many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned Thee; grant that they may quickly return to Thy Father’s house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.
Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbour of truth and unity of faith, so that there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.
Be Thou King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism, and refuse not to draw them into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of the race, once Thy chosen people: of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Saviour; may it now descend upon them a laver of redemption and of life.
Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: “Praise be to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honour for ever. Amen.”
This is the traditional version. In the new ‘PC’ version found in all modern prayer books, the fourth paragraph has been completely expunged.
WF,
Mention of the Sacred Heart in your comment reminds me that this weekend is the first weekend of the month of October, so First Friday Mass today and First Saturday Mass tomorrow. For those who have not yet started these devotions, this would be a great time to begin the first nine Fridays, first five Saturdays, to mark the centennial of the Fatima Apparitions, in this month of the 100th anniversary of the miracle of the sun. You know it makes [spiritual] sense!
http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/61/6146/FR4G100Z/posters/bob-zahn-i-know-it-doesn-t-seem-to-make-sense-but-the-salesman-said-i-couldn-t-af-cartoon.jpg
Westminster Fly,
That’s a beautiful prayer. Thank you!
I’m not surprised that the modernists have removed the fourth paragraph. They are so PC it’s incredible.
Timely reminder of the enemy not just at our gates , but within our walls.Our leaders, spiritual, or temporal are doing little about it. It is up to us with the help of Our Lady.
Liberanos,
the enemy not just at our gates , but within our walls
I completely agree, that is perfectly true.
Happy feast day to everyone. I think we should all say a Rosary today for the intentions above, but also remember the Catholic Truth Apostolate – the only Lay organisation to “tell it like it is”.
Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us!
Petrus,
Thank you for that.
Happy Feast of the Holy Rosary to one and all!
Happy Feast of the Holy Rosary to one and all. It is surely one of the most important Feasts of our times, central to the salvation of souls and true peace in the world.
A very happy feast of the Holy Rosary everyone!
I have a question.
Today being the First Saturday, I have started to make the First Five Saturdays.
I know about attending Mass, saying the Rosary, but I’m wondering because I’ve been told that I also have to made a quarter of an hour’s meditation which can be on one of the mysteries of the Rosary.
Is this something that Our Lady asked for or was it added?
Josephine
Our Lady did specifically ask for this 15 minute meditation on the mysteries of the rosary, it wasn’t added later.
Athanasius,
Thank you! I’ve just done that meditation (if reading from a book about a mystery of the Rosary, Crucifixion, counts! I hope it does!)
At Fatima Our Lady told the children that she would say who she was at the last visit. This meant that the name would be important. She announced herself as the Lady of the Rosary. This has echoes of the help she gave to Europe against Islam and may be of more significance than at first realised. In Europe today it is Poland which is conducting a Rosary Crusade to prevent the EU enforcing a large number of Moslem immigrants on them They are also resisting abortion and other secular values. So they have returned to Mary and the Rosary. Poland is joined in the immigration issue by Hungary and the Czech Republic. If Poland is successful in resisting Brussels there is hope for Europe. That is why we need a Rosary Crusade in support of the Poles and also a Rosary Crusade to save Europe.
The title of this talk says it all:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yngXv5q5FzE?list=WL&w=640&h=360%5D
Well, let me try that again! The title is “The End of Islam: Russia’s Future Role – Matt Gaspers” (John Vennari’s successor at Catholic Family News).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yngXv5q5FzE?list=WL&w=640&h=360%5D
RCA Victor,
I hope that this is Matt Gasper’s you mentioned. I agree good title.
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