The World - News from May 21, 1989

Polish Roman Catholic bishops opened a beatification process of the late Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, described as an unyielding fighter for human rights and one of the greatest leaders of the nation. Cardinal Jozef Glemp, who succeeded Wyszynski as the head of Poland’s powerful Catholic Church eight years ago, told several hundred people in St. John’s Cathedral that the beatification process--the first step toward sainthood--was opened at the request of the nation. “Following his death, requests were filed by the faithful to begin the beatification,” Glemp said. Wyszynski led the church from 1948 until his death in 1981.