Polish Cardinal who fought communism will be beatified

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Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, who was Archbishop of Warsaw and Primate of Poland, became one of the faces of resistance to communism during the Cold War period.

Newsroom (August 17, 2021, 8:00 AM, Gaudium Press) On September 12, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński will be beatified in Poland. The beatification ceremony will be held at the Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw, the city where his remains rest.

The Cardinal, who was Archbishop of Warsaw and Primate of Poland, became one of the faces of resistance to communism during the Cold War period. He spent three years in prison after refusing to punish priests active in the Polish resistance against the communist regime.

The Cardinal is already considered a Saint by the Polish faithful

Appointed cardinal by Pope Pius XII on January 12, 1953, he was president of the Polish Episcopal Conference from 1956 until May 28, 1981, the date of his death. Because he did not abandon his country during Nazism and defended it in the times of communism, he is considered a saint by his nation.

In a letter to the Cardinal-Priest and to Polish Catholics, Pope Saint John Paul II wrote that the Faith and trust in Mary manifested by Wyszyński helped him to become Peter’s successor. “This Polish Pope would not be in the Chair of Peter today, full of fear of God, but also of trust, if it were not for your faith, which was not intimidated in the face of imprisonment and sufferings,” he assured.

On December 19, 2017, Pope Francis recognized the heroic virtues of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. And in 2019, the Church recognized a miracle achieved through his intercession: the healing of a young girl who had thyroid cancer.

Beatification of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński

The program on September 12 will begin at 9 a.m. when the Temple of Divine Providence will be opened to the faithful. At 10:30 a.m. the spiritual preparation will begin, which will continue until noon. The Holy Mass will be presided by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, Papal Legate, and will be attended by the Polish episcopate and priests representing each diocese.

In addition to Cardinal Wyszyński, Mother Elżbieta Róża Czacka (1876-1961), founder of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters Servants of the Cross who are particularly dedicated to the service of the visually impaired, will also be beatified on the occasion. (EPC)

Compiled by Sarah Gangl

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