The Defense of Christendom

Human beings are the beloved children of God who are made up of both body and soul. Therefore human beings need to be defended on both the spiritual and physical plane. This is especially true for the followers of Jesus who have been sent out “as sheep among wolves.” (Matthew 10:16) Throughout the last two thousand years there have been many occasions when Catholics have had to take up the defense of their faith, families, and nation. However, there is a false belief that Catholics have always been the violent aggressors in their conflicts. This is preposterous because more often than not Catholics have been the victims of violent persecutions. Another common misconception is that Catholics are weak fighters who were almost always beaten. Although it is indeed true that Catholic armies have suffered some terrible defeats it is also true that they have won many heroic victories. The Medieval battles of Malta, Lepanto, and Vienna are three such examples of heroic Catholic victories fought in defense of Christendom. 

It was in 1565, that the Ottomans laid siege to the island of Malta, which was defended by the Knights Hospitallers.[1] These knights were renowned warrior monks who were originally formed in the Holy Land during the Crusades. Their mission was to provide medical aid to pilgrims, but it was also to protect them on the field of battle. This mission continued even after the Holy Land fell to the Turkish onslaught. However, it took on the form of harrying Turkish pirates and stopping them from spreading their terror to coastal villages. As a result the Turks hated them and eventually they came to destroy the brave warrior monks. Furthermore, the Knights Hospitallers’ headquarters was on the island of Malta, which was a perfect strategical spot to launch an invasion into the heart of Europe. Thus, the Knights were fighting not only in defense of their own lives, but in defense of Christian Europe as well. “The Turkish attack began on May 18, 1565, with the arrival of 159 vessels of war carrying at least 30,000 Janissaries and Spahis, with artillery and food supplies, to oppose the some 9,000 members of the island garrison.”[2] Thus, the Catholic soldiers were outnumbered at least three to one. However, the Turks besieged the smallest of the three forts that comprised the island first and were only able to take it after the passing of many weeks and the loss of many of their soldiers. This was a great discouragement to the Turks. Their morale was lessened all the more by the fact that soon after Catholic reinforcements arrived on the island. It was because of this that eventually the Turks quit their attack. At the end of this battle the Turks had lost nearly three times as many men as the Catholics.  

The battle of Lepanto was another such battle in which the Turks threatened to take all of Europe, but were promptly stopped by Catholic forces. In 1571 this sea battle was fought “at Lepanto (now known as the Gulf of Corinth).”[3] The Catholic forces were made up of 66,000 men with more than 200 ships and “opposed to them was the equally large Turkish navy, which fully intended to dominate the Mediterranean.”[4] Indeed, just a few months before the Turks had taken the island of Cyprus. On this island the Turks had committed many horrific atrocities which burned in the hearts and minds of the Catholic soldiers. The atrocities started with the Turks making peace terms with the hard pressed cities on Cyprus, but then breaking all of their promises once they had the cities in their grasp. All of the inhabitants were either killed or enslaved. The atrocities were so horrific that “the women fought fiercely to avoid being captured and sold into slavery in Turkish harems; some leaped from the roofs to avoid capture.”[5] Many, such as the Catholic commander were not as lucky. Indeed, a few of the indescribable tortures the commander suffered was being flayed alive, having his skin stuffed, and his body dragged around the city.[6] It was this that the Catholics were fighting to defend themselves from and it was with this in mind that the Catholic forces met the Turks. Thus, the Catholic ships led by the heroic Don Juan and backed by the prayers of all Europe crashed into the ships of the Turks. “When the smoke cleared, and the timber wrecked ships sank away, more than 30,000 Turks had perished, compared to 7,500 Catholics.”[7] Once again the mettle of the Catholics was shown.   

Finally, the battle of Vienna also proved to be a major Catholic victory in defense of all Christendom. This battle was of major importance because yet again the Turks were planning on bringing all of Europe under their control. Truly, “the Ottoman Turks yearned to bring all Europe within the dar al-Islam, the “House of Submission”—submissive to the sharia law.”[8] In fact, the threat was so great that the leader of the Catholic forces, John Sobieski, came all the way from Poland to fight the Turks. The battle was fought between “a combined Christian force of some 76, 000 men led by Sobieski against the Turks, who were led by Kara Mustapha and whose forces numbered from 115, 000 to 210, 000 men.”[9]  Eventually, the Catholics decisively won the fight. It was on Sept. 12, 1683, that John Sobieski “personally led his Polish cavalry in the charge that decided the battle.”[10] As a result Catholics have undoubtedly fought many battles in which they were by no means the aggressors, but rather the defenders. Furthermore, Catholics have proved to be more than capable fighters with many heroic victories in their history. It is important to note that Jesus did warn that “he who lives by the sword will die by the sword” (Mathew 26: 52), but with that said Jesus also told His disciples to “buy a sword.”(Luke 22: 36) Thus, Catholics are not to seek out war, but we are to be ready to defend ourselves, our families, and our faith. As a result, Catholics should always pray for safekeeping from war, but if the time comes we should all be ready to defend ourselves and all of Christendom as well.

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[1] Crocker H.W. III. Lepanto, 1571: The Battle That Saved Europe. (Crisis Magazine, https://www.crisismagazine.com/2006/lepanto-1571-the-battle-that-saved-europe-2)(Accessed 6/29/19)

[2] MILLER, S. J. T. "la Valette, Jean Parisot de." New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2nd ed., vol. 8, Gale, 2003, pp. 384-385. (Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3407706507/GVRL?u=23009&sid=GVRL&xid=65c53743.)(Accessed 6/29/19)    

[3] Crocker H.W. III. Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church. (Ney York, NY: Three Rivers Press, 2001), p. 281

[4] Ibid

[5] Moczar, Diane. Ten Dates Every Catholic Should Know: The Divine Surprises and the Chastisements That Shaped the Church and Changed the World. (Manchester, NH. Sophia Institute Press, 2005), p. 128

[6] Ibid, p. 129

[7] Crocker H.W. III. Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church. (New York, NY: Three Rivers Press, 2001), p. 282

[8] Crocker H.W. III. Lepanto, 1571: The Battle That Saved Europe. (Crisis Magazine, https://www.crisismagazine.com/2006/lepanto-1571-the-battle-that-saved-europe-2)(Accessed 6/29/19)

[9] KUSIELEWICZ, E. "John III Sobieski, King of Poland." New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2nd ed., vol. 7, Gale, 2003, pp. 914-915. (Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3407705912/GVRL?u=23009&sid=GVRL&xid=c79f0a4c.) (Accessed 6/29/19)

[10] Ibid