A Swiss Guard and His Rosary

Dr. Mario Enzler: On the liturgical calendar October 7th is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. This feast celebrates the naval victory of the Holy League fleet at Lepanto which in 1571 saved Christian Civilization from defeat at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.

Pope Pius V knew well the tremendous importance of resisting the aggressive expansion of the Ottomans and the certain consequences of defeat at their hands. The battle was a spiritual one and the existence of the Christian West was at stake, so the Holy Father called on the faithful of Catholic Europe to join him in praying the Rosary for a victory for the Holy League, which was internally divided by jealousies and rivalries and dramatically outnumbered by the invaders. The subsequent Christian victory, obtained through the courageous fighting of the men and the powerful intercession of Our Lady, invoked by Europe’s Christians, is widely known historical fact. Read the rest here.