What happened?
The late Polish Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński will be beatified, after Pope Francis gave official Vatican approval to a miracle brought about through Wyszyński’s intercession.
Wyszyński was Archbishop of Warsaw from 1948 til his death in 1981, and helped lead resistance to communism. He was a mentor to St John Paul II.
Why was it under-reported?
Cardinal Wyszyński was once world-famous, hailed as “the uncrowned king of Poland” and “Primate of the Millennium”. During the long years of communist rule, he symbolised the endurance of Polish Catholicism – even, or especially, during his three years in prison. His relationship with Karol Wojtyła alone had a dramatic impact on Poland, the world and the Church. But times have changed. In today’s Poland, memories of communism have faded fast; and in today’s Church, John Paul II’s legacy seems much less secure than it once did.
