Cardinal Simoni recounts faith sustaining him through death sentence

Cardinal Ernest Simoni said his faith sustained him during a death sentence issued by the communist government of Albania in 1963. In an interview with EWTN News In Depth, the 98-year-old cardinal explained that he was arrested and sentenced to death after celebrating a Mass for the repose of the soul of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

The death sentence was eventually commuted to forced labor. Simoni reported that he was imprisoned, tortured, and forced to march for 16 hours without food or water. During his time under the atheist regime, he continued to celebrate Mass in secret. He attributed his survival to the grace of God.

Following the dissolution of the Party of Labor of Albania in 1991, Simoni was released from manual labor and state surveillance. In 2014, Pope Francis named Simoni to the College of Cardinals, describing him as a living martyr. During his interview, the cardinal also called for prayers for world leaders.