József Cardinal Mindszenty (1892-1975), primate of Hungary, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1948 for his opposition to secularization of Catholic schools and his refusal to recognize the new government. Freed in 1956, he sought refuge at the American embassy after the Soviet invasion of Hungary. He left the country in 1971.

József Mindszenty was born on March 29, 1892, in Mindszent in western Hungary. His parents owned a farm and raised wine grapes and other crops. His father had been village magistrate and head of the parish council and of the school committee. During his school years, Mindszenty was active in the Catholic Youth Movement. After his graduation he entered the seminary in Szombathely. He was ordained a priest on June 12, 1915, and became assistant to the pastor of Felsöpàny. During this period his book on spiritual problems, Az Édesanya (The Mother), was published...