Joseph Cardijn, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetJoseph Cardijn
20th century Belgian cardinal, founder of the Young Christian Workers
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Schaerbeek, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium
About Joseph Cardijn
- Joseph Leo Cardijn (13 November 1882 – 24 July 1967) was a Belgian Roman Catholic cardinal and the founder of the Jeunesse ouvrière chrétienne (JOC) [Young Christian Workers].
- Cardijn was best known for his lifelong dedication to social activism and working towards the improvement of the working class; since 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, whom 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.
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