Archbishop Fulton Sheen Interviews Pastor Richard Wurmbrand

This is a an extraordinary meeting of two of the twentieth century's great spiritual figures -- one a Protestant, the other Catholic -- who were close friends and dynamic collaborators for Christ and His gospel for much of their lives.  Each drew their worldwide influence from holiness forged in the furnace of suffering.  Each brought countless souls to Christ, and continues to do so.  Their friendship is witness that true followers of Christ cannot help but be close to one another.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the first of the televangelists, continues to be the most influential Catholic evangelist of the past 100 years.  His books, videos and recordings remain best sellers more than 30 years after his death, and his cause for canonization is underway.

Pastor Richard Wurmbrand suffered intensely in Communist prisons for his Christian beliefs.  In the depths of brutal torture and years of solitary confinement he had a vision like that of the Apostle Stephen.  Wurmbrand wrote:

We didn't see that we were in prison. We were surrounded by angels; we were with God. We no longer believed about God and Christ and angels because Bible verses said it. We didn't remember Bible verses anymore. We remembered about God because we experienced it. With great humility we can say with the apostles, "What we have seen with our eyes, what we have heard with our ears, what we have touched with our own fingers, this we tell to you."

Pastor Wurmbrand dedicated his life to the cause of martyrs throughout the world and founded the international organization, Voice of the Martyrs. One of his many books, Tortured for Christ is a Christian classic.  We frequently post stories about Voice of the Martyrs, and our post this past week about 50,000 imprisoned Christians in North Korea makes clear that Christian persecution continues on a massive scale in our own day.

On this Good Friday, these saintly men remind us that a Christian must take up one's cross and ascend Calvary; but where the cross is, there also is the resurrection.