17 Facts About Antoni Baraniak

Antoni Baraniak, SDB was a Polish Salesian who served as the Archbishop of Poznan from mid-1957 until his death.

Antoni Baraniak served as a bishop in Gniezno before being appointed as an archbishop though just prior to that was arrested.

Antoni Baraniak's life has caused calls for his beatification to be made and it has been decided that the cause will be requested and then launched if it is approved.

Antoni Baraniak was born on 1 January 1904 in Sebastianowo.

Antoni Baraniak commenced his novitiate with the order in 1920 and made his initial profession on 28 July 1921.

Antoni Baraniak served as a teacher in Klecza Dolna and in Warsaw from 1924 until 1927 when he was sent for theological studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome where he was stationed until 1931 upon earning his doctorate.

Antoni Baraniak received his ordination to the priesthood in the Carmelite church in Krakow on 3 August 1930 from Adam Stefan Sapieha.

Antoni Baraniak was later appointed in 1933 to serve as the chaplain and private aide to Cardinal August Hlond and supported the cardinal during World War II that prompted them to flee Poland for a time.

Antoni Baraniak was present at Hlond's deathbed when Hlond pronounced Wyszynski as his successor.

Antoni Baraniak accompanied Wyszynski on his first "ad limina apostolorum" visit to Pope Pius XII in April 1951 just before Baraniak would be named as a bishop.

Antoni Baraniak asked them what to wear and one soldier told him put on "something warm".

Antoni Baraniak was placed in detention at the Mokotow prison and was interrogated and tortured; he was subjected to 145 interrogations that often lasted hours.

Antoni Baraniak later accompanied Cardinal Wyszynski to another "ad limina apostolorum" visit to the pope that was held on 14 May 1957 just a couple of weeks before his archiepiscopal elevation.

Antoni Baraniak became fluent in Italian and attended all sessions of the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965.

Antoni Baraniak later participated in the 1971 Synod of Bishops and attended the 1971 beatification of Maximilian Kolbe and the 1975 beatification of Maria Theresa Ledochowska.

Antoni Baraniak ordained and consecrated prominent individuals at this point and ordained the future Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski in 1963 and the future Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski in 1973.

Antoni Baraniak died after an extended illness on 13 August 1977 in a Poznan hospital and was buried in the metropolitan cathedral.