Cardinal Simoni says faith sustained him through death sentence for Mass honoring President Kennedy

Cardinal Ernest Simoni said in an interview with EWTN News In Depth that his faith sustained him after he received a death sentence from the communist government of Albania. In 1963, the government sentenced Simoni to death for celebrating a Mass for the soul of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

Simoni stated that his death sentence was eventually commuted to forced labor. During his imprisonment, he experienced torture and was forced to march for 16 hours without food or water. He continued to celebrate Mass in secret despite the risk of being hanged if discovered by the authorities. After the Party of Labor of Albania dissolved in 1991, Simoni was released from manual labor and state surveillance.

Pope Francis named Simoni a cardinal in 2016, describing him as a living martyr. Simoni now travels to share his experiences and the Gospel.