After five hours of battle, the Holy League won. Between the two forces, there were more than 400 warships, making this one of the largest naval battles in history. The Holy League’s ships took the shape of a cross. The Holy League encountered the Ottoman warships deployed in the shape of a crescent, the symbol of Islam. Some evidence also suggests they carried a painting sent to the King of Spain from Mexico depicting the miraculous image known as Our Lady of Guadalupe. On October 7, 1571, the Christian fleet went into battle carrying a banner blessed by the Pope.

The evening before the famous battle, the sailors prayed the Rosary on their knees.

Pius V realized that the Holy League needed great spiritual assistance, so he asked the Holy League, as well as all of the faithful, to pray the Rosary, asking Our Lady’s intercession for a victory in the upcoming battle. At the time when the battle of Lepanto was fought, the Ottoman Empire had not lost a major battle since the previous century.

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