Lek Sirdani

Dom Lek Sirdani (born March 1, 1891 or 1892 in Guci near Shkodra or in Gurës near Milot , † October 26, 1948 in Milot) was an Albanian priest who was tortured and murdered by the communists for his faith . He is one of the Thirty-Eight Martyrs of Albania .

Life

Lek (Aleksandër) Sirdani grew up in Guci near Shkodra , where his family, who came from the mountains, had moved the year before he was born. Like his brother, the later Franciscan Marin Sirdani, he felt called to serve in the Church. He completed his initial studies at the papal seminary in Shkodra, later he studied theology in Innsbruck with many other Albanian clergy, including Dom Ndre Zadeja . As an additional subject, he took linguistics . He was ordained a priest on April 24, 1916; in 1918 he returned to Albania. He became a pastor in a mountain community in the Archdiocese of Shkodra and worked in the far-flung villages. He was considered a great personality, hardworking and humble priest. The religious instruction of the children and young people in his community was particularly important to him. To visit the old people, he went from house to house. He worked tirelessly for the faith, showing a patriotic and especially democratic attitude. He had a reputation as a scholar (in particular an ethnographer, including collecting and categorizing old folk songs and legends), as a publicist and poet. Many of his publications appeared under the initials "DAS"

Arrest and Assassination

In July 1948 he was arrested together with Dom Pjetër Çunin in the Koplik area . Handcuffed together, they walked the streets of the town. He was tortured in a barbaric and ruthless manner. There are various details about the death: According to an archive, both were shot on July 31, 1948. According to another source, Lek Sirdani died as a result of the torture. According to a third version, he and Pjetër Çunin were pushed into a sewage pit by the police, where they both died.

beatification

The beatification of Lek Sirdani and 37 other martyrs took place in Shkodra on November 5, 2016 . The Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints , Cardinal Angelo Amato , presided over the celebrations on behalf of Pope Francis .

literature

• Pjetër Pepa: Tragjedia dhe Lavdia e Klerit Katolik në Shkipëri. Shtëpia Botuese 55, Tirana 2007, Vol. II, ISBN 978-99943-9216-2 .
• Konrrad Gjolaj: Çinaret. Shkodra 2006.
• Markus WE Peters: History of the Catholic Church in Albania 1919-1993. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2003, ISBN 3-447-04784-4 .

Web links

• Portrait of Sirdani on the website of the Archdiocese of Shkodra-Pult (Albanian)