Vincens Prenushi was imprisoned and tortured at the hands of Albania's former Communist regime after he called for the Albanian Catholic Church to separate from the government because of its attempts to suppress it.
What is beatification?
- Beautification is linked to two Latin words
- Beatus means "blessed"
- Facere, "to make"
- It acknowledges "someone who is dead has lived a holy life"*
*Cambridge Dictionaries Online
The Communist government eventually declared Albania an atheist country in 1967 - the first country ever to do so. The government was dissolved after protests in 1992.
The honour could lead to Mr Prenushi being made a saint.
One requirement for receiving a sainthood is the attribution of two miracles.
It has also emerged Mr Prenushi is among 37 Albanian religious figures to be recognised as martyrs.
All 37 were killed in the country between 1945 and 1974.
Fr John Sullivan (1861-1933), a Jesuit priest from Dublin, is also on Pope Francis' latest list for beatification.
The priest reached out to the sick and terminally-ill during the early 20th century.