Pietro Leoni
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Pietro Leoni (1 January 1909 – 26 July 1995) was an
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
priest of the
Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...
and the
Russian Greek Catholic Church The Russian Greek Catholic Church or Russian Byzantine Catholic Church is a ''sui juris, sui iuris'' (self-governing) Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic particular church that is part of the worldwide Catholic Church. Hi ...
. His memoir of surviving the
Gulag The Gulag was a system of Labor camp, forced labor camps in the Soviet Union. The word ''Gulag'' originally referred only to the division of the Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies, Soviet secret police that was in charge of runnin ...
, ''"Spia del Vaticano!"'', was published after his return to the West.


Early life

He was born to peasant parents in Montaltovecchio, near
Forlì Forlì ( ; ; ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is, together with Cesena, the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena.The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the east of the Montone river, ...
,
Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an Regions of Italy, administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia (region), Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 m ...
,
Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...
. In 1922, he entered the
minor seminary A minor seminary or high school seminary is a secondary day or boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming Priesthood (Catholic Church), Catholic priests. They are generally ...
at
Modigliana Modigliana () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Forlì-Cesena in the Italy, Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and about southwest of Forlì. The toponym derives from (Castrum) ''Mutilum'', meaning ...
.Constantin Simon S.J. (2009), ''Pro Russia: The Russicum and Catholic Work for Russia'', Orientalium. Page 460. In 1927, Leonid joined the
Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...
, which sent him to study at the
Pontifical Gregorian University Pontifical Gregorian University (; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana), is a private university, private pontifical university in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as a part of the Roman College, founded in 1551 by Ignatius of Loyo ...
in Rome. He arrived at the
Russicum The Collegium Russicum (; ; ') is a Catholic college in Rome, originally founded by Pope Pius XI and dedicated to training priests for the newly organized Russian Greek Catholic Church. It is located near the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, se ...
, a
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
-run
seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...
established to train priests of the
Russian Greek Catholic Church The Russian Greek Catholic Church or Russian Byzantine Catholic Church is a ''sui juris, sui iuris'' (self-governing) Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic particular church that is part of the worldwide Catholic Church. Hi ...
for missionary work in the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
and the
Russian diaspora The Russian diaspora is the global community of Ethnicity, ethnic Russians. The Russian-speaking (''Russophone'') diaspora are the people for whom Russian language is the First language, native language, regardless of whether they are ethnic Russ ...
, in 1934. After briefly teaching there as an in residence philosophy tutor, Leoni applied to permanently join the Russian Apostolate and was ordained in 1939 as a priest of the
Byzantine Rite The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, is a liturgical rite that is identified with the wide range of cultural, devotional, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Chri ...
.


Military chaplain and missionary

In 1940, Fr. Leoni was drafted into the
Italian Royal Army The Royal Italian Army () (RE) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfredo Fanti signed a decree c ...
and served as a
military chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases, they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term ''cha ...
in
Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
and occupied Greece. In 1941, Fr. Leoni's unit was assigned to
Dnipropetrovsk Dnipro is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper River, Dnipro River, from which it takes its name. Dnipro is t ...
, as part of
Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...
. Before his departure for the USSR in October 1941, Fr. Leoni was granted an audience with Metropolitan
Andrey Sheptytsky Andrey Sheptytsky, OSBM (; ; 29 July 1865 – 1 November 1944) was the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Metropolitan of Galicia and Archbishop of Lviv from 1901 until his death in 1944. His tenure in office spanned two world wars and six political r ...
of the
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is a Major archiepiscopal church, major archiepiscopal ''sui iuris'' ("autonomous") Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic church that is based in Ukraine. As a particular church of the Cathol ...
. He later recalled, "I told Szeptycki about the condition of the Catholic and Orthodox religions in the Ukraine and about the attitude of the German authorities to the clergy. I reported that under the Germans the Catholic Church was unable to function, that the Orthodox clergy enjoyed the trust of the Germans, and that the number of Orthodox priests was increasing under the German occupation." In 1943 he was released from military service as the Italian army disintegrated and he decided to stay on as a missionary priest in
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n-occupied
Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...
. When the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
reoccupied the city on 10 April 1944, Fr. Leoni was at first allowed, despite the stiff opposition of the
Moscow Patriarchate The Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus (), also known as the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, is the title of the Primate (bishop), primate of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). It is often preceded by the honorific "His Holiness". As the Ordinar ...
's
Eparchy Eparchy ( ''eparchía'' "overlordship") is an Ecclesiology, ecclesiastical unit in Eastern Christianity that is equivalent to a diocese in Western Christianity. An eparchy is governed by an ''eparch'', who is a bishop. Depending on the administra ...
of Odessa, to remain in the city and continue to minister to local Catholics. Despite this,
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...
surveillance of Fr. Leoni and his parishioners began almost immediately.I. I. Osipova (2003), ''Hide Me Within They Wounds: The Persecution of the Catholic Church in the USSR'', Germans from Russia Heritage Collection,
Fargo, North Dakota Fargo is the List of cities in North Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, Cass County. The population was 125,990 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, which was e ...
. Page 152.
Even though
Soviet anti-religious legislation The government of the Soviet Union followed an unofficial policy of state atheism, aiming to gradually eliminate religious belief within its borders. While it never officially made religion illegal, the state nevertheless made great efforts to ...
strictly forbade the registration of foreign priests and even though the
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...
already had a file on him, Fr. Leoni was allowed to register as the pastor of the Catholics of Odessa in November 1944. His congregation numbered about 8,000 people, most of whom were ethnic Poles. Despite this, Fr. Leoni offered only the
Byzantine Rite The Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople, is a liturgical rite that is identified with the wide range of cultural, devotional, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christianity, Eastern Chri ...
Divine Liturgy Divine Liturgy () or Holy Liturgy is the usual name used in most Eastern Christian rites for the Eucharistic service. The Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Lutheranism, Eastern Lutheran Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church believe the Divi ...
in
Old Church Slavonic Old Church Slavonic or Old Slavonic ( ) is the first Slavic languages, Slavic literary language and the oldest extant written Slavonic language attested in literary sources. It belongs to the South Slavic languages, South Slavic subgroup of the ...
and preached in
Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...
. Fr. Leoni later recalled following his arrest, however, "I am essentially a religious man. For me the Catholic Church comes before everything else and politics does not interest me. When I refused to conduct active propaganda among my parishioners o get themto participate and sign up for the State loan and the collection of funds for the defense of the U.S.S.R., I told officials from the district soviet that conducting such propaganda in the church was not our spiritual business. But I had no objection to my parishioners collecting money for the Red Cross, for the families of those at the Front or for war invalids... I believe that, on the one hand, the organs of Soviet power harass the clergy and religion in general, while, on the other hand, they use the Orthodox Church in the battle against other faiths." Fr. Leoni also received several Orthodox Christians, including at least one priest, into the
Russian Greek Catholic Church The Russian Greek Catholic Church or Russian Byzantine Catholic Church is a ''sui juris, sui iuris'' (self-governing) Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic particular church that is part of the worldwide Catholic Church. Hi ...
, for which he later accused local Russian Orthodox Bishop Sergei (Larin) of denouncing him to the
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...
.


Political prisoner

On April 29, 1945, he was arrested by the
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...
and brought to the Lubyanka Prison in
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
for interrogation. To the outrage of his interrogators, Fr. Leoni refused to answer questions that might harm the Church or other underground priests, such as his former classmate
Walter Ciszek Walter Joseph Ciszek, Jesuits, S.J. (November 4, 1904 – December 8, 1984) was a Polish-American Jesuits, Jesuit priest of the Russian Greek Catholic Church who Clandestine operation, clandestinely conducted Christian mission, missionary wo ...
. Fr. Leoni's, "sometimes flippant answers earned him spells in
solitary confinement Solitary confinement (also shortened to solitary) is a form of imprisonment in which an incarcerated person lives in a single Prison cell, cell with little or no contact with other people. It is a punitive tool used within the prison system to ...
, but surprisingly he was not tortured, or at least he does not mention it."Constantin Simon S.J. (2009), ''Pro Russia: The Russicum and Catholic Work for Russia'', Orientalium. Page 586. While refusing to inform against his fellow Catholics, Fr. Leoni had no problem with telling his interrogators exactly what he thought of the Soviet Government. According to his case file, he once said, "Given that I am a Catholic religious, I was and am an enemy of
Marxism Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflict, ...
and of the political regime which exists in the USSR - a regime, which, in my opinion is not different from
Fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...
... I believe that in the USSR there is neither
democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...
, not freedom for the people. The Soviet regime has stripped the people of
freedom of religion Freedom of religion or religious liberty, also known as freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice ...
, of
freedom of the press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic Media (communication), media, especially publication, published materials, shoul ...
, and of freedom of expression. One is forbidden to think freely, to develop one's initiative or creativity... I have never calumniated the Soviet Government: I have only said what I believe without mincing my words..."Constantin Simon S.J. (2009), ''Pro Russia: The Russicum and Catholic Work for Russia'', Orientalium. Page 587. When NKVD interrogators confronted him with "witnesses" who claimed that he was a supporter of
Fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...
dictators
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
and
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
, Fr. Leoni calmly replied, "I do not deny that I favored a change in the political system in the USSR but I never advocated the achievement of such change through an attack on the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
... I was not a supporter of the system established by Mussolini in Italy and I never told anyone that I shared Mussolini's political views... In Odessa, during the occupation, I helped several young people to avoid being deported to Germany by the Nazis." On 13 September 1945, Fr. Leoni's interrogation ended and a formal
indictment An indictment ( ) is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that use the concept of felonies, the most serious criminal offense is a felony; jurisdictions that do not use that concept often use that of an ind ...
was approved. He was declared guilty of
espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ...
on behalf of the
Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...
,
anti-Soviet agitation Anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda (ASA) () was a criminal offence in the Soviet Union. Initially, the term was interchangeably used with counter-revolutionary agitation. The latter term was in use immediately after the October Revolution of 1917 ...
, and of trying to convert the Orthodox to the
Eastern Catholic Churches The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also known as the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (''sui iuris'') particular churches of ...
. On November 12, 1945, an NKVD Collegium sentenced him to ten years in the
Gulag The Gulag was a system of Labor camp, forced labor camps in the Soviet Union. The word ''Gulag'' originally referred only to the division of the Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies, Soviet secret police that was in charge of runnin ...
. Fr. Leoni later recalled of the transit prison in Kirov, "Bed-bugs and roaches multiplied by the millions and at night it was impossible to defend one's self against them because the room was in total darkness. Only when they brought supper did they bring us a miserable oil lamp which immediately they removed. They left us at the mercy of these parasites which in the darkness became even more insatiable and aggressive. The three nights I spent there were a real martyrdom. And even more suffering did I have to endure from human parasites." Like many other
political prisoner A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention. There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, although ...
s in the
Gulag The Gulag was a system of Labor camp, forced labor camps in the Soviet Union. The word ''Gulag'' originally referred only to the division of the Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies, Soviet secret police that was in charge of runnin ...
, the memoirs of Fr. Leoni also describe being preyed upon and robbed by the '' Vory v Zakone''. While serving his sentence at Temlag in the Mordovian ASSR, Fr. Leoni was again arrested on June 15, 1947, and accused of, "belonging to a counterrevolutionary organisation" of fellow political prisoners which interrogators dubbed "Volya" ("The Will"). According to investigators, "Volya" was planning a prisoner uprising, was smuggling letters to Western Governments, and also trying to tunnel out of the camp. Both Fr. Leoni's memoirs and the investigative file, however, reveal that "Volya" was created and organized by an
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...
agent provocateur An is a person who actively entices another person to commit a crime that would not otherwise have been committed and then reports the person to the authorities. They may target individuals or groups. In jurisdictions in which conspiracy is a ...
named Goryachev. Even so, on August 28–29, 1947, a special Temlag camp court declared Fr. Leoni guilty of violating article 58 of the Russian Criminal Code and another 25 years in Rechlag were added to his sentence. On 9 April 1951, Father Leoni had an argument at Rechlag with KGB Captain G., who mockingly said, "God? But if your God really existed he would not allow you to be stuck here." Leoni replied, "Why would he not permit it? Look, I have been found worthy to suffer for Him and I am sure that if I endure everything to the end He will grant me an eternal reward." The Captain snapped, "A vain hope, since God does not exist." Fr. Leoni replied, "God existed, God exists now, and will always exist. Soviet power, on the other hand..." The enraged Captain shouted, "Soviet power existed, exists now, and..." Fr. Leoni interrupted, "And will not exist in the future!" When the Captain told him that his interruption would cost him two months in the punishment barracks, Fr. Leoni responded, according to his prisoner file, "That will prove that you are parasites." According to
Memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects such as home ...
member and historian of Soviet
religious persecution Religious persecution is the systematic oppression of an individual or a group of individuals as a response to their religion, religious beliefs or affiliations or their irreligion, lack thereof. The tendency of societies or groups within socie ...
Irina Osipova, "Many of his 'outbursts' against the camp administration are not mentioned in his person dossier, but are described by his associates in their memoirs". For example, Yuri Tregubov, a fellow prisoner who was incarcerated with Fr. Leoni in
Vorkuta Vorkuta (; ; Nenets languages, Nenets for "the abundance of bears", "bear corner") is a coal-mining types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in the Komi Republic, Russia, situated just north of the Arctic Circle in the Pechora coal basin a ...
, later recalled how a KGB Lieutenant-Colonel arrived in the camp during the summer of 1953 to deliver a lecture on " Soviet humanism". The Lieut.-Col. began by saying, "Soviet power not only chastises you, it also forgives you... Millions have been released, and that's only a small percentage of those who will be freed." At first a fellow prisoner sarcastically heckled the visitor, saying, "Citizen Commandant, you said that the Soviet authorities have already freed millions and that's only a small percentage of those who will be released. If millions are a small percentage, how many are in the camps? Half the country?" The assembled zeks burst into laughter and another prisoner mockingly called out, "Forty million for sure. That really ''is'' humanism." Then "Per Leoni", as his fellow zeks called him, stood up and shouted in flawless Russian, "Don't believe the Chekist liars! Don't believe this godless regime! The Chekists are leading you astray, fight them!" For a brief moment, chaos reigned and the guards were only able with difficulty to restore order, after which, "humanism notwithstanding", Fr. Pietro Leoni was sent to a punishment cell.Constantin Simon S.J. (2009), ''Pro Russia: The Russicum and Catholic Work for Russia'', Orientalium. Page 588. Fellow political prisoner Jan Urwich later wrote about how, in 1955, a delegation from Moscow arrived at the
labor camp A labor camp (or labour camp, see British and American spelling differences, spelling differences) or work camp is a detention facility where inmates are unfree labour, forced to engage in penal labor as a form of punishment. Labor camps have ...
to collect signatures for the Stockholm Appeal, in which the
Cominform The Information Bureau of the Communist and Workers' Parties (), commonly known as Cominform (), was a co-ordination body of Marxist–Leninist communist parties in Europe which existed from 1947 to 1956. Formed in the wake of the dissolution ...
-controlled
World Peace Council The World Peace Council (WPC) is an international organization created in 1949 by the Cominform and propped up by the Soviet Union. Throughout the Cold War, WPC engaged in propaganda efforts on behalf of the Soviet Union, whereby it criticize ...
had called for a global ban on nuclear weapons. A lecturer first made a speech calling for signatures and the
KGB The Committee for State Security (, ), abbreviated as KGB (, ; ) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, Joint State Polit ...
officer chairing the meeting urged any prisoner who wished to speak in favor of the appeal to do so. Urwich later recalled, "From the back of the hall came a voice speaking in Russian with an Italian accent, 'Whoever signs the Stockholm Appeal signs his own death warrant! Better a cruel death under the
atomic bomb A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear expl ...
than living on in this ''happy paradise'' where we find ourselves now!' The hall literally erupted. The resulting noise and chaos could not be quelled and the meeting disintegrated. Everything went to pieces." On 25 April 1955, a Collegium of the
Supreme Court of the Soviet Union The Supreme Court of the Soviet Union, officially the Supreme Court of the USSR () was the highest court of the Soviet Union during its existence. It was established on November 23, 1923 and was dissolved on January 2, 1992. The Supreme Court of ...
commuted Fr. Leoni's sentence to seven years imprisonment. As he had already more than served his new sentence, he was told that would be released and allowed to return to his native Italy.I. I. Osipova (2003), ''Hide Me Within They Wounds: The Persecution of the Catholic Church in the USSR'', Germans from Russia Heritage Collection,
Fargo, North Dakota Fargo is the List of cities in North Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, Cass County. The population was 125,990 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, which was e ...
. Page 173.
Jan Urwich later recalled, "The news of Fr. Leoni's departure for Rome, at a time when no one expected it, planted much hope and joy... This man made us feel confident that he would tell that
Free World The "Free World" is a propaganda term, primarily used during the Cold War from 1945 to 1991, to refer to the Western Bloc and aligned countries. It was originally coined in the 1930s and used in the Second World War. The term refers more bro ...
, to which he was returning, the tragic and incredible truth about the country the champions of Humanism and the brotherhood of peoples." On 17 May 1955, Fr. Leoni was handed over to representatives of the Italian Government in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, through the intervention of the
Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...
.


Later life

Following his return to Italy, Fr. Leoni lived for a time at the
Russicum The Collegium Russicum (; ; ') is a Catholic college in Rome, originally founded by Pope Pius XI and dedicated to training priests for the newly organized Russian Greek Catholic Church. It is located near the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, se ...
, but, according to Fr. Constantin Simon, "even extreme resilience has its limits." Severely traumatized by his experiences in the Gulag, Fr. Leoni distrusted Russicum students who had lived in Soviet Russia and suspected them of being assassins for the
KGB The Committee for State Security (, ), abbreviated as KGB (, ; ) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, Joint State Polit ...
. Fr. Leoni also sharply opposed the efforts by the Russicum's then Rector, Fr. Bohumíl-Feofil Horáček, S.J., to rehabilitate the
Moscow Patriarchate The Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus (), also known as the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, is the title of the Primate (bishop), primate of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). It is often preceded by the honorific "His Holiness". As the Ordinar ...
in the eyes of Catholics in the West. Fr. Leoni, who believed the Moscow Patriarchate to be "a mere instrument of the
Atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
State", openly heckled Fr. Horáček whenever he spoke of these views publicly and also gave media interviews expounding his own views.Constantin Simon S.J. (2009), ''Pro Russia: The Russicum and Catholic Work for Russia'', Orientalium. Page 589. In response, the
Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...
transferred Fr. Leoni to write his memoir ''"Spia del Vaticano!"'' at the Jesuit houses in
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
and
Cesena Cesena (; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy; and - with Forlì - is the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. Served by Autostrada A14 (Italy), Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine M ...
. After his memoir was published in 1959, Fr. Leoni, who wished to work as a missionary in the
Russian diaspora The Russian diaspora is the global community of Ethnicity, ethnic Russians. The Russian-speaking (''Russophone'') diaspora are the people for whom Russian language is the First language, native language, regardless of whether they are ethnic Russ ...
, was assigned to
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. Fr. Leoni served as pastor of the Russian Catholic parish of the Presentation of Our Lady in Jerusalem in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, where he also worked at the Catholic hospital dedicated to St. Frances Cabrini. On 3 November 1974, Fr. Leoni responded to recent efforts since the
Quiet Revolution The Quiet Revolution () was a period of socio-political and socio-cultural transformation in French Canada, particularly in Quebec, following the 1960 Quebec general election. This period was marked by the secularization of the government, the ...
by
feminists Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
to pass legislation aimed against workers at Catholic hospitals by giving an interview over Canadian radio, "in which he clearly and unambiguously defended", the teachings of the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
on
human sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...
.


Death and legacy

Fr. Pietro Leoni died of a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
while swimming in a Canadian lake on July 26, 1995. He was 86 years old.Methodios Stadnik
"Nec Plus, Nec Minus, Nec Aliter: A Brief History of the Russian Byzantine Catholic Church and the Russian Catholics."
Following his death, the Russian Catholic parish of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin in Jerusalem was closed down permanently by Fr. Leoni's Ecclesiastical superiors in the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal The Archdiocese of Montréal () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Canada. A metropolitan see, its arch episcopal see is the Montreal, Quebec. It includes Montreal and surrounding areas within Queb ...
. The church building has since been given to the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of Mar Addai of Toronto and is currently in use as Sts. Martyrs of the East Chaldean Catholic Church. Since the
collapse of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
, Fr. Leoni's memoir of the Gulag, ''"Spia del Vaticano!"'', has been translated from Italian to Russian and published. It has yet to the translated, however, into English.


See also

* Anti-Catholicism in the Soviet Union


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leoni, Pietro 1909 births 1995 deaths 20th-century Eastern Catholic clergy 20th-century Italian Jesuits Anti-Catholicism in the Soviet Union Canadian anti-communists Canadian anti-fascists Canadian Eastern Catholics Catholic resistance to Nazi Germany Critics of dialectical materialism Foreign Gulag detainees Eastern Catholic writers Italian anti-communists Italian anti-fascists Italian Eastern Catholics Italian expatriates in Canada Italian expatriates in the Soviet Union Italian military chaplains Italian military personnel of World War II Italian people imprisoned abroad Male critics of feminism Clergy from Montreal People from the Province of Forlì-Cesena Persecution of Catholics during the pontificate of Pope Pius XII Persecution of Christians in the Eastern Bloc Religious persecution by communists Russian Greek-Catholics World War II chaplains Participants in the Vorkuta uprising 20th-century Canadian Roman Catholic priests Inmates of Butyrka prison