Cardinal Gerhard Müller is urging Catholics to make the Rosary part of their daily lives, pointing to the historic Battle of Lepanto as a powerful reminder of the Church’s longstanding confidence in prayer and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
According to LifeSiteNews, the former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith made the appeal during a homily at the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Lublin, Poland.
Müller reflected on the events of Oct. 7, 1571, when the Christian Holy League fought at the Battle of Lepanto. He connected the famous naval victory with the widespread campaign of Rosary prayer encouraged by Pope St. Pius V.
“To fully understand the power of the Rosary, we must look back to the year 1571—more precisely, to October 7—when the fate of our faith and our freedom was decided on the waters of the Gulf of Corinth, in the Battle of Lepanto,” Müller said, according to LifeSiteNews.
The cardinal described the Christian forces as facing circumstances that appeared nearly hopeless.
“The situation was dire. The Christian fleet, known as the Holy League, was vastly outnumbered, poorly armed, and doomed to defeat. From a human perspective, there was no hope of victory,” he said.
Rather than relying solely upon military preparations, Müller said Pope St. Pius V called Christians throughout Europe to prayer.
“Instead of seeking only earthly allies, he called on all of Europe to mobilize spiritually,” Müller said. “He asked every cardinal, every priest, every mother, every father, and every child to pray the Rosary.”
According to Müller’s account, Catholics gathered in prayer as the battle unfolded, while Pope Pius V also remained in prayer at the Vatican.
The cardinal said that during the battle, the wind suddenly shifted in a way that favored the Christian fleet.
“And then a miracle occurred, one that historians still describe to this day: a sudden shift in the wind,” Müller said.
Müller also recounted the tradition that Pius V appeared to know of the victory before news could physically reach Rome.
“Our Lord has granted us a great victory. Let us give thanks to God,” Müller quoted the Pope as saying.
In thanksgiving for the victory, Pius V established October 7 as the Feast of Our Lady of Victory. Müller noted that Pope Gregory XIII later changed the celebration’s name to the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
For Müller, however, Lepanto was not simply a historical lesson. He used the story to challenge Catholics today to rediscover a prayer that can easily become familiar or neglected.
“The victory at Lepanto was not due to brilliant generals or superior cannons. It was due to prayer to the Mother of God,” he said.
The cardinal then turned his attention to Mary’s place in salvation history, emphasizing that Catholic devotion to her must always be understood in relation to Jesus Christ.
“For Mary is, after Jesus—the Son of God and the world’s only Savior—the most important figure in the history of salvation,” Müller said.
He recalled Mary’s response at the Annunciation — “I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word” — and emphasized that Mary was a real historical person whose role belongs within God’s plan of salvation fulfilled in Christ.
Müller concluded by encouraging Catholics not to treat the Rosary as an object that is owned but rarely used.
“That is why the Rosary should not be forgotten, lying at the bottom of a drawer,” he said, according to LifeSiteNews. “It should have its place in our pocket, in our purse, or beside the bed.”
He encouraged the faithful to pray throughout ordinary moments of the day, whether traveling, walking or resting at home in the evening.
“Our Lady of the Rosary awaits our little ‘Hail Mary,’” Müller said. “With every bead we move along, let us entrust our worries, our families, and our future to her. Amen.”
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