Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has paid a moving tribute to the victims of Albania's former Spaç prison camp, saying that no prison, no suffering and no chain can separate a person from the love of God. His message was delivered during a special Mass led by 97 year old Cardinal Ernest Simoni at the former communist prison camp, where the Cardinal himself spent many years as a political prisoner.
Pope sent his message to Cardinal Simoni and everyone who gathered for the memorial Mass held on Friday, July 31, at the former prison camp. The celebration honoured the memory of those who suffered, were imprisoned or lost their lives under Albania's communist regime.
In his message, Pope Leo reflected on the strength of faith even in the darkest moments of human suffering. Drawing inspiration from Saint Paul's Letter to the Romans, he said that no chain is powerful enough to imprison a conscience guided by the Gospel. He added that no night is so long that it can stop the dawn God prepares for His children, and no prison is deep enough to separate anyone from God's love.
Pope described Spaç as one of the most painful places in Albania's history. He said it remains deeply engraved in the memory of the Albanian people because it was a place where many innocent people carried the heavy burden of injustice. According to the Pope, the blood of those who suffered and died in the mountains surrounding the camp has made the land a silent witness to courage, faithfulness and hope.
The memorial Mass carried special meaning because it was celebrated by Cardinal Simoni, who experienced the suffering of the prison camp firsthand. During the communist era, he spent much of his 18 year prison sentence at Spaç after being accused of being an enemy of the people. Although he was originally sentenced to death, the punishment was later reduced to imprisonment and forced labour in several labour camps.
Pope Leo noted that Cardinal Simoni had returned to the very place where he had suffered to celebrate the sacrifice of Christ, saying that the Cross, once a symbol of death, had become a promise of life through Jesus Christ.
During the Mass, Cardinal Simoni shared personal memories from his years in prison. He recalled secretly celebrating Mass from memory in Latin, knowing that every celebration could cost him his life. He said he heard confessions and distributed Holy Communion in complete secrecy while living under constant fear of discovery.
The Cardinal explained that he prepared the bread for the Eucharist using flour baked over makeshift stoves and used juice squeezed from grapes for the celebration. He admitted that if prison authorities had discovered what he was doing, he would have been hanged immediately.
As a powerful reminder of those difficult years, Cardinal Simoni showed the congregation the miner's helmet he wore as a young priest when he was forced to work underground in the prison mines.
Pope also reflected on the countless prayers that must have risen from the prison camp during those years of persecution. He spoke of the silent cries, whispered prayers and final hopes of prisoners who turned to God while enduring great hardship and deprivation.
He offered prayers for all the men and women who died during that period, especially those buried in unmarked graves without the comfort of loved ones or even a simple flower placed in their memory.
Pope Leo prayed that the memory of those victims would never be forgotten. He said their lives should remind future generations of the dignity of every human person, the importance of freedom and the responsibility of every society to work for peace.
The ceremony at Spaç stood as both a remembrance of a painful chapter in Albania's past and a powerful witness to the endurance of faith. Through Cardinal Simoni's return to the prison where he once suffered, and the Pope's message of hope, the event highlighted the belief that even the harshest persecution cannot overcome the strength of faith or the enduring love of God.