The Albanian cardinal Ernest Simoni, a symbol of communist persecution against the Church, has been received by Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican in a meeting marked by a testimony of faith, the remembrance of the martyrs, and a call for peace for all peoples.
A meeting filled with faith and hope
According to Vatican News, Cardinal Ernest Simoni, 97 years old, was received on April 27 by Pope Leo XIV in the Popes’ Room of the Vatican, accompanied by about forty family members.
After the audience, the cardinal described the atmosphere experienced as “all joy, all hope,” emphasizing the emotion of beholding the Holy Father, whom he identified as a reflection of the face of Christ. In his words, the meeting aimed “to proclaim to all men the news of Heaven, of peace, of fraternity, and of love for all the peoples of the world.”
A witness to communist persecution
Simoni’s figure is closely linked to the suffering of the Church under the communist regime in Albania. A priest of the Archdiocese of Shkodrë-Pult, he was arrested in 1963, initially sentenced to death, and later subjected to forced labor in extreme conditions.
For years, he exercised his ministry clandestinely until the fall of the regime. His testimony deeply marked the universal Church, especially after his meeting with Pope Francis during his trip to Albania in 2014, where the Pontiff described him as a “living martyr.”
In 2016, Francis created him a cardinal, publicly recognizing the value of his fidelity amid persecution.
“A special grace” from the Holy Spirit
In his meeting with Leo XIV, Simoni interpreted the audience as a spiritual gift. He stated that it was “a special grace” granted by the Holy Spirit, which allowed him to join the Pope in proclaiming the peace “that comes from Heaven,” linked to the joy of the Resurrection.
The cardinal insisted that faith in Christ and in his sacrifice is the foundation of hope in eternal life, reminding that Jesus “has prepared eternal happiness” for all men.
The remembrance of the martyrs
One of the most significant moments of the meeting was the final gesture of the cardinal, who presented the Pope with a cross and a relic of the Albanian martyrs.
With this gift, Simoni wanted to place at the center the testimony of those who gave their lives for the faith during the communist persecution, highlighting their fidelity to Christ and their sacrifice for the Albanian people.