After the retreat of the Italian occupation army, in Albania Communist partisans under Enver Hoxha entered power in 1944; the People’s Republic was proclaimed in 1946. This obscure regime, besides North Corea, became the world’s most brutal dictatorship, and in 1967 Hoxha made his country the first atheistic one of history.
Even after the dictator’s death in 1982 nothing improved up to the system’s overthrow in 1990. In February, 1947, Bishop Gjergj Volaj of Sapë was murdered as martyr, and on March 11, 1948, Bishop Frano Gjini of Lezhë was shot after he resisted the creation of a national church. On 19.03.1949 Archbishop Nikollë Vinçenc Prennushi, O. F. M., of Durrës died in prison as result of tortures.
At the beginning of the 1950s there was only one bishop left in the country:
1911 – 1956 Bernardin Shllaku, O. F. M., Bishop of Pult.
Clandestine Bishops‘ Consecrations 1952 – 1956:
20.04.1952: Ernest Maria Çoba, Ap. Administrator of Shkodrë, by Bernardin Shllaku
20.04.1952: Pjetër Dema, Capitular Vicar of Durrës, by Bernardin Shllaku
25.04.1957: Antonin Fishta, Capitular Vicar of Pult, by Ernest Maria Çoba
25.03.1959: Nikollë Troshani, Ap. Administrator of Durrës and of Lezhë, probably by Ernest Maria Çoba.
A Martyr Bishop: Mgr. Antonin Fishta, O. F. M., of Pult
More consecrations oviousely did not occur. Bishop Fishta died in prison in 1980, and in this very year Bishop Çoba was beaten to death by his jail guards.
After dictatorship, the first consecrations were conferred by Pope St. John Paul II. on 25.04.1993 during his visit to Albania:
Robert Ashta, O. F. M., Bishop of Pult
Frano Illia, Archbishop of Shkodrë
Rrok K. Mirdita, Archbishop of Durrës-Tirana
Zef Simoni, Auxiliary Bishop of Shkodrë.
Mikel Cardinal Koliqi
Ernest Cardinal Simoni
In the consistory of 26.11.1994 the Pope created the 92 years old Prelate Mikel Koliqi, a long-time Vicar General of Shkodrë and in prison for his faith as first cardinal of Albania. However, he never was consecrated a bishop. Pope Francis elevated Rev. Ernest Simoni, a priest from Shkodrë-Pult archdiocese, a cardinal in his consistory of 19.11.2016; he survived the dictatorship in spite of a death penalty against him.
On November 5, 2016, Pope Francis beatified Servants of God Archbishop Nikollë Vinçenc Prennushi and Bishop Frano Gjini.