My cell was in the basement. The windows were broken, and the cell was very cold. I remained there for the whole month of December until January of 1950. The cold was torture for me. I was often taken to the interrogators at night. They would send me back and, after half an hour, I would be woken up again for another interrogation. The cold of the frozen cell consumed me. I slept very little, always with the urge to wake up again and move around. The chill came in through the broken window, leaving traces of frost on my beard and clothing. In three weeks I lost a great deal of weight. I prayed and offered all of the cold and all of the trials to the Savior.
METHODS OF COERCION
The interrogations, like the beatings, took place right above our cell. We understood what was happening from the sounds, to which we listened in terror. Then the screams of those who were being beaten. They beat the soles of the feet with a bar of iron. The victim then had to run around if he did not want his feet to swell. The torture was repeated. Many had the bones of their feet dislocated.
But heavier than a beating was isolation. They locked you in an empty cell and poured water on the cement floor. After a day or two the feet swelled and the heart could hold out no longer. The victim either fell into the water or asked to be taken out to “confess.”
Sandro Magister has an account Bishop Ioan Ploscaru of the Greek-Catholic diocese of Lugo Romania who suffered for the faith through fifteen years of torture and imprisonment.
9 comments:
Beautiful, simply faith prevails through these sorts of horrific trials.
I was very moved by reading the fuller story on Sandro Magister's blog. Indeed Bishop Ioan was a martyr although he did not suffer death as a result of the tortures.
I read, somewhere, that the 20th Century saw more martyrs than any other century. And, it has not ceased! Only today I read that two Orthodox bishops have been kidnapped by Syrian rebels. I also read that Turkey is setting up a special camp for all the Christian refugees from Syria. When I was in Istanbul last October I was told first-hand of the efforts which the Church is making within Turkey to house, feed, clothe and educate all the christian refugees from Syria. Also, news filters through about the struggles in Egypt and Pakistan, which Christians are facing right now.
God is so good. Thank you for that extraordinary link Father.
suffer. amalek is the one unadulterated enemy that God Almighty wants destroyed; utterly, no remorse. what is amalek? something past, present or future? something so inimcal to the heart of God, that God's justice deems it must be obliterated. Amalek is the unadulterated enemy of prophetic Israel. who is suffering under the spirit of amalek? Who is prophetic Israel?
Thank you Father. A very powerful piece.
It is good to be reminded of the suffering of those who are willing to suffer for the faith. It is hard sometimes for us to reconcile this to our lives of comfort.
When I read articles like this , I remember that John Fisher literally wore the red of the cardinalte , something that any modern day Cardinal in these isles would do well to remember.
It is interesting to contrast the willingness of the saintly Bishop to suffer for the Catholic Faith with the indifferentism shown by Archbishop Nichols et al. The latter would give permission for a Catholic to marry the heir to the British throne knowing that the children would be baptised in to a protestant ecclesial body. The former suffered torture for 15 years rather than join a schismatic Church which at least had all the sacraments.
Thank you for the post Father. It is horrible to hear how the prisoners were treated. I will pray for my Catholic brothers and sisters that are being persecuted.
Jonathan,
Are you sure that Abp Nichols is to blame for this?
Isn't this really what the 1984 Code of CL says?
The code says that the ordinary can (ie he is not obliged to) give permission for the marriage but only if certain conditions are satisfied. In the present case it is clear that the Catholic party would not prevail in having the baby baptised as a Catholic and so the bishop would certainly act within the law by refusing permission.
Surely the attitude of our Bishops on this point makes a mockery of the suffering of Bishop Ploscaru? Why resist schism to the point of suffering torture if Archbishop Nichols won't resist heresy to the point of making the British establishment feel uncomfortable?
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