Marian Miracles at Constantinople and Lepanto, 1422 and 1571

Abstract

This paper compares the miraculous actions of the Virgin Mary during a 1422 siege of Constantinople and 1571 Battle of Lepanto. Avoiding secular skepticism against miracles, it centers the perspectives of fourteenth and fifteenth century believers by reading their accounts as faithful and accurate. From there, it defines three categories of miracle – direct-action, manipulation of human actions, and indirect, ambiguous actions that connote absolute power – and closes by questioning such categorizations altogether.