杏MAP导航

By Joseph Tulloch

At the end of this week鈥檚 General Audience, 杏MAP导航 Francis laid aside his prepared remarks and offered a long, unscripted greeting to one of his visitors.

After discussing the history of Christian martyrdom in ancient Rome, the 杏MAP导航 noted that today, too, there are many martyrs all across the world, and offered a special greeting to Cardinal Ernest Simoni, who he described as a 鈥渓iving martyr鈥�,  

Twenty-eight years imprisonment

Born in the village of Troshani, northern Albania, in 1928, Ernest Simoni began his studies for the priesthood within the Franciscan order when he was just ten years old

In 1948, the Franciscan convent where he was staying was looted by agents of the Communist regime. The friars were shot and the novices expelled.

Despite this, Simoni continued his theological studies in secret, and was clandestinely ordained a priest in 1956.  

In 1963, after Christmas Mass, Simoni was arrested and imprisoned. He remained behind bars for twenty-eight years, facing both solitary confinement and many years of hard labour.

杏MAP导航 Francis met Fr Simoni during his visit to Albania in September 2014, and was brought to tears when listening to him discussing his sufferings. After returning to Rome, the 杏MAP导航 decided to make the elderly priest a Cardinal.

The 杏MAP导航鈥檚 words

杏MAP导航 Francis began his tribute to Cardinal Simoni with a reference to the many Christian martyrs buried all around them in the Vatican.

鈥淎ll of us have read, have heard, the stories of the early martyrs of the Church,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ven here, where the Vatican is now, there is a cemetery, and many were executed here.鈥�

鈥淏ut, even today,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 stressed, 鈥渢here are many martyrs all over the world: many, perhaps more than at the beginning. There are many persecuted for their faith.鈥�

He then introduced Cardinal Simoni, noting that he 鈥渓ived 28 years in prison鈥� as a result of the Communist persecution of the Church in Albania which, he said, was 鈥減erhaps the cruelest鈥� of its kind.

Cardinal Simoni 鈥渃ontinues to bear witness,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 stressed. 鈥淗e is now 95 years old, and he continues to work for the Church without becoming discouraged.鈥�

After his release from prison in the 1990s, Cardinal Simoni forgave his jailers, and resumed his service as a priest, with a special focus on promoting reconciliation in post-Communist Albania. 

鈥淒ear brother,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis concluded, 鈥淚 thank you for your witness.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis with Cardinal Simoni following the General Audience   (Vatican Media)