Stefan Wyszyński


Stefan Wyszyński
Cardinal
Archbishop of Gniezno
Archbishop of Warsaw
Primate of Poland
ChurchCatholic Church
Appointed12 November 1948
Installed2 February 1949 (Gniezno)
6 February 1949 (Warsaw)
Term ended28 May 1981
PredecessorAugust Hlond
SuccessorJózef Glemp
Other post(s)Apostolic Administrator of Lviv of the Armenians (1954-81)
President of the Polish Episcopal Conference (1956-81)
Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere (1957–81)
Previous post(s)Bishop of Lublin (1946–48)
President of the Polish Episcopal Conference (1948-53)
Orders
Ordination3 August 1924
by Wojciech Stanisław Owczarek
Consecration12 May 1946
by August Hlond
Created cardinal12 January 1953
by Pope Pius XII
RankCardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born
Stefan Wyszyński

(1901-08-03)3 August 1901
Died28 May 1981(1981-05-28) (aged 79)
Warsaw, Poland
MottoSoli Deo
("To God alone")
Signature
Coat of arms
Sainthood
Feast day28 May
Venerated inCatholic Church
Beatified12 September 2021
Temple of Divine Providence, Wilanów, Warsaw, Poland
by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro on behalf of Pope Francis
AttributesCardinal's attire
Patronage
  • Civitas Christiana
  • Persecuted Christians
Styles of
Stefan Wyszyński
Reference styleHis Eminence
Spoken styleYour Eminence
Informal styleCardinal
SeeWarsaw

Stefan Wyszyński (3 August 1901 – 28 May 1981) was a Polish Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Warsaw and Archbishop of Gniezno from 1948 to 1981. He previously served as Bishop of Lublin from 1946 to 1948. He was created a cardinal on 12 January 1953 by Pope Pius XII. As Archbishop of Gniezno, Wyszyński possessed the title, "Primate of Poland".

The case for Wyszyński's canonization was opened in 1989. He is well known for his stands against both Nazism and Communism, and because of his connections to Pope John Paul II; he played a key role in urging Wojtyła to accept being elected as pope. Pope Francis beatified Wyszyński on 12 September 2021.

To many, Wyszyński was the unquestionable spiritual leader of the Polish nation, credited for the survival of Polish Christianity in the face of repression and persecution during the 1945–1989 Communist regime. He himself was imprisoned for three years, and is considered by many to be one of Poland's national heroes.