Uniquely Mary video screengrab / YouTube
A 96-year-old cardinal who had been imprisoned by communists for 28 years shared his testimony at a July 11-12 New Jersey conference on exorcism and deliverance before praying for worldwide deliverance from demonic influence.
John Leaps Evangelization hosted the conference, “Shielding the Children of God,” in Newark. The group says its goal is to “help people in the healing process, which includes identifying and treating the wounds that have negatively affected their lives,” according to its website. Other conference speakers included Father John Szada, Monsignor John Esseff, and Craig Turner.
During his talk at the conference, Cardinal Ernest Simoni Troshani of Albania — whom Pope Francis called a “living martyr” in 2024 — told the story of his life with the help of a translator.
Despite describing the horrors of Albania’s former communist regime and warning against demonic influence, Cardinal Simoni’s remarks reflected a sense of profound hope. He described meeting Pope Saint John Paul II and Saint Theresa of Calcutta when they visited Albania.
“Albania was blessed by John Paul II when he arrived in Albania [in 1993, soon after the fall of communism],” the cardinal said. “He tried to connect with the Albanian people, and that’s the biggest blessing we had [under communism].”
Cardinal Simoni emphasized the centrality of brotherly love to the Christian faith, saying that, so long as the conference attendees live out this brotherhood and keep Christ close, they need not fear demons.
The cardinal said that too often deliverance is thought of exclusively as a mode of protection from demonic possession. Instead, he said that the faithful should realize that they are also for deliverance from conditions like illness and disease, which is why he prayed to St. Michael frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After his talk, the cardinal performed an exorcism of personal items for conference attendees. He then prayed in Latin for deliverance of the whole world from all evil and demonic influence.
Cardinal Simoni’s hopeful message included a call to action. He told all attendees to begin praying the Rosary four times a day for those possessed by demons, those suffering from cancer, and women having trouble conceiving.
The cardinal emphasized that Christ’s love is all-powerful.
“Everything we do and everything we are,” he said, “we can never forget that we belong to Jesus Christ.”
>> LOOPCast Exclusive: An Interview with Exorcist Fr. Carlos Martins <<
