Joseph Cardijn

Joseph Leo Cardijn (; 13 November 1882 – 24 July 1967) was a Belgian Catholic cardinal and the founder of the movement of Young Christian Workers (''Jeunesse ouvrière chrétienne'', JOC).

Cardijn was best known for his lifelong dedication to social activism and working towards the improvement of the working class; after his ordination, he made a particular focus of his life the effort to evangelize and bring the core messages of faith in the Gospel back to the working class, who he believed were neglected. He was not wrong in that assessment since old schoolmates working in the mines and mills believed the Church had abandoned them, which prompted Cardijn to found a social movement dedicated to this task despite the opposition that it faced.

His movement received vocal praise and encouragement from Pope Pius XI. He demonstrated great zeal even after he had been imprisoned during World War II, which served to empower his positions on social change and to oppose rising inequalities. Cardijn was also an extensive traveller (visiting places such as Costa Rica and Australia) and was a recipient of several recognitions for his work in social activism. He served as a critical contributor to the Second Vatican Council, working closely with Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI. The latter named Cardijn as a cardinal in 1965.

Cardijn died in a Leuven hospital in 1967. The cause for the cardinal's beatification was initiated in 2014 and he is titled as a Servant of God. Provided by Wikipedia