Rome, Italy, Feb 15, 2010 / 15:34 pm
Cardinal William Joseph Levada celebrated Mass for the 50th anniversary of the martyrdom of Croatian Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac last Wednesday at the church of St. Girolamo in Rome. In his homily, Cardinal Levada spoke of the fortitude and heroism of the 20th century martyr.
According to an article in L'Osservatore Romano last week, Cardinal Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, preached at the Mass on the importance of staying true to the essence of the Gospel which, while it may not be easy, "doesn't discourage," as evidenced in the life of Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac.
Cardinal Levada said that although the martyr was never able to wear the insignias of the cardinal because he was in prison, "he lived what they stand for... sacrificing his own life for the truth and the unity of the Church in Croatia with the Successor of Peter."
He described the Croatian cardinal as a "hero, and something more" for his refusal to give in to the "farse" of a legal process that took his liberty but wasn't able to take his honor or dignity.