Ernest Simoni
| His Eminence Ernest Simoni | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria della Scala | |
| Cardinal Ernest Simoni in 2016. | |
| Church | Catholic Church (Latin Church) |
| Appointed | 19 November 2016 |
| Installed | 11 February 2017 |
| Predecessor | Stanisław Nagy |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 7 April 1956 |
| Created cardinal | 19 November 2016 by Pope Francis |
| Rank | Cardinal-Deacon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 October 1928 Troshani, Albanian Kingdom |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Motto | Zemra jeme dotë triumfojë (Albanian for 'My Immaculate Heart will triumph') |
| Styles | |
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Religious style | Cardinal |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
Ernest Simoni Troshani (born 18 October 1928) is an Albanian Catholic prelate known for being one of the few recent appointees to the College of Cardinals who, prior to appointment, was not a bishop. He is known for his resistance to persecution under the Albanian Hoxha regime. He was created a cardinal by Pope Francis in a consistory held on 19 November 2016.[1]
Life
Simoni was born in 1928 in Troshani in the Albanian Kingdom.[2]
On 24 December 1963, he was imprisoned by the Communist authorities after offering a Mass for the repose of assassinated US President John F. Kennedy. Simoni was tortured and even offered marriage to leave his faith.[3] He was sentenced to death, but the sentence was converted into a prison term and he spent 28 years at penal labour, first in a mine and then in a sewage canal.[4]
On 21 September 2014, he met Pope Francis during his apostolic visit to Albania and provided the pope with his own testimony on his experiences under the Communist regime.[5]
On 9 October 2016,[6] Pope Francis announced that he would create Simoni a cardinal in the consistory held on 19 November of the same year.[7] Canon 351 of the Code of Canon Law requires that all cardinals must be bishops, but Simoni was given a papal dispensation from the requirement of episcopal consecration.[8] At the consistory, he was assigned the titular church, becoming Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria della Scala.[9]
On October 25, 2025, during the Pontifical High Mass as part of the 14th annual Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage, Simoni offered Pope Leo XIII’s Exorcism against Satan and the Apostate Angels, invoking St. Michael the Archangel.[10]
Honors
In 2017, he received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented at an awards ceremony in London.[11][12]
References
- Back to citation "Il Papa annuncia un concistoro per il 19 novembre" (in Italian). La Stampa. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- Back to citation "SIMONI Card. Ernest". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- Back to citation Koleka, Benet (2016). "Lifetime of privation made Albanian priest a Catholic cardinal". Reuters. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
- Back to citation Glatz, Carol (11 October 2016). "This priest's story of persecution brought Pope Francis to tears. Now he's making him a cardinal". America. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
- Back to citation "Paoline Ufficio Stampa – Don Ernest Simoni". paoline.it. 9 October 2016. Archived from the original on 9 May 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- Back to citation "Mgr Ernest Simoni, simple curé nommé cardinal albanais". lalibre.be. 21 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- Back to citation "Da sacerdote a cardinale: ecco chi è Ernest Simoni, uno dei 17 nuovi porporati voluti dal Papa" (in Italian). ilsole24ore.com. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- Back to citation Cardinale, Gianni (27 November 2020). "Ecco i nuovi cardinali: nomi, storie, numeri e novità" (in Italian). Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- Back to citation "Don Ernest Simoni all'ospedale San Giovanni". Diocese of Rome. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- Back to citation Blake, Jordan. "Cardinal Ernest Simoni Recites Exorcism During Latin Mass at St. Peter's Basilica". catholiconline.news. Catholic Online News. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- Back to citation "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
- Back to citation "2017 Summit Highlights Photo". “Two members of the Class of 2017: fashion designer Valentino Garavani, the "Living Martyr" of Albania, Cardinal Ernest Simoni, with the Academy's 52nd annual International Achievement Summit Host, Catherine B. Reynolds.”
Bibliography
- Additional sources
- "Albania's new cardinal: a priest who spent 28 years in labour camps". Catholic Herald. Associated Press. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
External links
- Quotations related to Ernest Simoni at Wikiquote
- Media related to Ernest Simoni at Wikimedia Commons
- "Simoni Card. Ernest". Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- Glatz, Carol (11 October 2016). "This priest's story of persecution brought Pope Francis to tears. Now he's making him a cardinal". America. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- Speech delivered in September 2014 during the visit of Pope Francis to Albania, Rome Reports, 17 November 2016