Pope Francis Remembers 38 Albanian Martyrs During Sunday Mass

VATICAN, Nov 6 (ATA) – During the Sunday’s Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican, Pope Francis remembered the thirty-eight Albanian martyrs who were beatified on Saturday in Shkodra, Albania.

“Yesterday in Shkodra, Albania, thirty-eight martyrs were beatified: two bishops, many priests, friars, seminarists, nuns and laics, all victims of vicious persecution by atheist regime that ruled over the country in the last century. They preferred to suffer imprisonment, torture and eventually death, in order to remain faithful to Christ and the Church,” the Holy Father said.

Their example”, he added “helps us find strength in the Lord that supports us in times of trouble and inspires acts of kindness, forgiveness and peace.”

The names of Albanian martyrs who were beatified at the Cathedral of St. Stephen in Shkodra were pronounced again today in front of a multinational crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pray with the Pope, who had just finished the Mass on the Jubilee for Prisoners in Saint Peter’s Basilica

ATA/Vatican Radio/ /m.m/u.sh/