Roman Catholic Cardinal. Twice a survivor of Soviet prisons, he was the longtime head of the Church in Belarus. Born to a Polish family that was sent to Siberia during the Russian Revolution, he was raised in what was then Poland, educated at Pinsk, and ordained a Priest in 1939. Arrested by the NKVD for anti-Soviet activities in 1941 he was sentenced to death but was able to escape during the Nazi invasion. Again arrested in 1944 he was to spend nine years in Siberia before returning to Pinsk in 1954 where he was a parish Priest for many years. Named Chaplain to Pope John Paul II in 1988, he was Consecrated Bishop in 1991 and named Archbishop of Minsk-Mohilev and Apostolic Administrator of Pinsk. Swiatek was Created Cardinal in 1994 was was to oversee the Church during the transition to a post-Soviet world. In 2006 he was designated Commander of the French Legion of Honour; following the Cardinal's retirement that same year he remained in Pinsk where he died of the effects of advanced age.
Roman Catholic Cardinal. Twice a survivor of Soviet prisons, he was the longtime head of the Church in Belarus. Born to a Polish family that was sent to Siberia during the Russian Revolution, he was raised in what was then Poland, educated at Pinsk, and ordained a Priest in 1939. Arrested by the NKVD for anti-Soviet activities in 1941 he was sentenced to death but was able to escape during the Nazi invasion. Again arrested in 1944 he was to spend nine years in Siberia before returning to Pinsk in 1954 where he was a parish Priest for many years. Named Chaplain to Pope John Paul II in 1988, he was Consecrated Bishop in 1991 and named Archbishop of Minsk-Mohilev and Apostolic Administrator of Pinsk. Swiatek was Created Cardinal in 1994 was was to oversee the Church during the transition to a post-Soviet world. In 2006 he was designated Commander of the French Legion of Honour; following the Cardinal's retirement that same year he remained in Pinsk where he died of the effects of advanced age.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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