Holy League

plural Holy Leagues · alternative holy league

1. historicalAny one of several temporary alliances between Christian countries of (especially mediaeval) Europe, formed for some specific objective of ostensible benefit to Christianity.

   The initiative for a Holy League often came from a secular power, not the pope, but papal involvement was inevitable if it was to have the same spiritual benefits to participants as a crusade.

   3 more examples

   The third article contains an invitation to all other Powers, who shall find themselves disposed to avow these sacred principles, to join them in this Holy League.

   1816, Robert Hindmarsh, Remarks on the Holy League Lately Entered Into, page 5

   Raymond de Cardona was immediately to lead his army into Lombardy, in order that he might have more influence on the distribution of the territories occupied by the Holy League, as well as to feed his army at the expense of that country, which Ferdinand assigned to them in place of pay.

   1861, Thomas Henry Dyer, The History of Modern Europe, Volume 1, John Murray, page 292

   Instead, Zaccharia urges them to fight the "infidel" Turks as he elaborates in another poem on the Holy League. This is the only way, he asserts, that the Holy League will receive the support of God, who will unleash his heavenly army and send "his Angel from the highest cloister to take bitter and hard revenge"; the only way "that the power and malicious anger of the dragon will be oppressed, which will generate his ultimate ruin."

   2011, Benjamin Paul, “"And the moon has started to bleed": Apocalypticism and religious reform in Venetian art at the time of the Battle of Lepanto”, in James G. Harper, editor, The Turk and Islam in the Western Eye, 1450-1750, page 76