Albanian cardinal marks 70 years as a priest, recalls brutal Communist persecution
April 10, 2026
» Continue to this story on L'Osservatore Romano (Italian)
CWN Editor's Note: The Vatican newspaper published an article by Albanian Cardinal Ernst Simoni on the 70th anniversary of his priestly ordination. Cardinal Simoni joined Pope Leo as the Pontiff imparted his Easter blessing from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Cardinal Simoni, who was sentenced to forced labor in 1963, recalled the brutal persecution of the Church under the Communist regime (1946-1991). “In secret, I managed to celebrate Holy Mass—reciting the Latin liturgy entirely from memory—using hosts made of flour and water that I baked on makeshift stoves,” he wrote.
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