Polish Nun, Cardinal Who Defied Communism Are Beatified
Voice of America
WARSAW, POLAND - Poland's top political leaders on Sunday attended the beatification of two revered figures of the Catholic Church — a cardinal who led the Polish church's resistance to communism and a blind nun who devoted her life to helping others who couldn't see.
Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski and Mother Elzbieta Roza Czacka took a step toward sainthood at a time of declining church attendance and as some Poles have left the church over sex abuse scandals and the church's coziness with the current right-wing government. In a time of growing secularization and societal divisions, the celebration was a reminder of the moral authority and the unifying power the church once held over Poland. The Mass was led by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, the head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints.French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visit the memorial center during the 80th anniversary of the massacre of 643 persons by Nazi German forces, in Oradour-sur-Glane, France, on June 10, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron (2ndL), the Mayor of Oradour-sur-Glane (L), and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (2ndR) walk along a street in Oradour-sur-Glane, June 10, 2024. French President Macron (L) and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stand together as they pay their respects during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre, June 10, 2024.
Swiss President Viola Amherd, center, speaks during a press conference ahead of the Ukraine peace conference being organized by Switzerland, in Bern on June 10, 2024. Ukrainian flags flutter over hundreds graves of Ukrainian servicemen killed in fighting since the Russian invasion, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on June 6, 2024.