Pope Francis Prays to Pope St. Pius V, Devotee of the Holy Rosary

 

In his first full day as Pontiff of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis set out on his own to pray to Mary at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, and then he visited the tomb of Pope St. Pius V who firmly believed in the power of the rosary. This article tells the amazing story of a miraculous military victory thanks to Pope Pius's devotion to Mary and her powerful rosary:

The Rosary Defeats Muslim Forces in The Battle of Lepanto ~ 1571

The chapel of Christ of Lepanto in The Cathedral of San Eulalia in Barcelona, Spain. 

(Photos from http://jn1838.blogspot.com/2010/04/crucifix-of-lepanto.html)

The crucifix from the ship of Don Juan of Austria in The Battle of Lepanto. The oncoming Moslem Turks shot a cannon at it and the Corpus miraculously swerved to the right, avoiding the shot, and stayed that way ever since. This treasure is venerated at The Cathedral of San Eulalia in Barcelona, Spain.

The Battle of Lepanto, October 7, 1571 ~ At the end of the Crusades, Catholic naval forces, in a battle with Muslim forces, were at a decided disadvantage in numbers and resources. Knowing the odds for victory were poor, St. Pope Pius V requested all of Europe to pray the rosary. While performing his duties in the Vatican miles away from battle, the good Pope is said to have suddenly stood up at the moment of victory, gone over to a window and exclaimed, "The Christian fleet is victorious!" while shedding tears of gratitude to God. Through the power of the rosary, the Catholic forces soundly defeated the Muslim Turks.  In another point of interest, Admiral Andrea Doria commanding the Catholic forces carried a small image of Our Lady of Guadalupe into battle. This image is now venerated in the Church of San Stefano in Aveto, Italy.


Pray the rosary!