When Pope Francis visited Albania in 2014, he was brought to tears by a priest's description of the two decades of imprisonment, torture and forced labour he suffered under Albania's brutal communist rulers for refusing to renounce his Catholic faith.
On Sunday, Pope Francis honoured Fr Ernest Troshani Simoni's witness by naming him to the College of Cardinals.
Fr Simoni, who turns 88 later this month, was one of 17 new cardinals named by Pope Francis who will be formally elevated at a Vatican ceremony on November 19. He is among four cardinals over age 80 who can't vote in a conclave to elect a new pope but were named to the club because of their service to the church.
