Cardinal Ernest Simoni, one of the great witnesses to the communist persecution of the Church in Europe, ascended the Hill of Apparitions in Medjugorje this Tuesday, on the eve of the 45th anniversary of the beginning of the alleged Marian apparitions. At 97 years of age, and after having spent eighteen years in prison and forced labor under Albania’s communist dictatorship, the cardinal wished to personally make the pilgrimage to the place where thousands of faithful pray the Rosary each year.
The image of the elderly cardinal walking the steep path of Podbrdo has been received with emotion by numerous pilgrims gathered in Medjugorje, which these days is celebrating the anniversary of events that began on June 24, 1981, and have turned this small town in Bosnia-Herzegovina into one of the main destinations for Marian pilgrimage in the world.
A witness to communist persecution
Ernest Simoni survived one of the harshest religious persecutions of the 20th century. Ordained a priest in 1956, he was arrested by the Albanian communist regime and spent eighteen years between prison and forced labor without renouncing his priestly ministry.
His testimony deeply impressed Pope Francis, who created him a cardinal in 2016 in recognition of the fidelity of so many Catholics persecuted during the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha. Since then, Simoni has become a spiritual reference for numerous faithful and pilgrims.
Medjugorje celebrates its 45th anniversary
The cardinal’s presence coincides with the celebrations of the 45th anniversary of the beginning of the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary, which continue to attract hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all continents each year.
In recent years, the Holy See has chosen to favor pastoral care for pilgrims and to recognize the abundant spiritual fruits linked to Medjugorje, authorizing organized pilgrimages and approving the devotion associated with this place. At the same time, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has recalled that this pastoral openness does not imply recognition of the supernatural character of the alleged apparitions, whose discernment remains reserved to ecclesiastical authority.