Od sFrom Medieval Saints to the Victims of Communism – Discover a Fascinating Journey!

In the harsh political climate of the 1950s, many severe political processes took place, particularly linked to the events in Babice, located in the Třebíč region, while executions were carried out in the prison in Jihlava. Similarly, the older stories of Czech martyrs are deeply intertwined with specific locations: like Stará Boleslav, where Saint Václav died, Tetín, where Saint Ludmila was killed, or Prague, which witnessed dramatic events associated with Saint Jan Nepomucký and the Franciscans in the city.

Martyrs Are Not Just Characters from Ancient Legends

Jan Bula and Václav Drbola were young Catholic priests serving in the rural areas of Moravia. They led a normal spiritual life in their parishes: conducting masses, working with youth, taking care of churches, and naturally fitting into their local communities. However, after the rise of the communist regime in 1948, the church became one of the state’s main enemies, and it was the priests who were among the first to face a wave of repression.

Their fates were impacted by Action K, where the communist regime brutally abolished religious orders, as well as the events related to the so-called Babice case of 1951. Following the murders of three communist officials in the village of Babice, the regime instigated a widespread campaign against both real and imagined opponents. This led to a series of political trials intended to instill fear within the public and demonstrate the power of the new regime.

Among those accused were priests Jan Bula and Václav Drbola. Despite having little to no involvement in the events, both became prominent figures in the fabricated trials. After enduring brutal interrogations and a manipulated judicial process, they were both sentenced to death and executed in the Jihlava prison.

Today, the Catholic Church regards them as martyrs—people who died for their faith and remained true to their beliefs even when faced with violence. In 2026, Pope Leo XIV signed a decree for their beatification. Their story, however, is not unique in Czech history.

What Does the Word Martyr Mean and How Is It Understood in Christian Tradition

The very word martyr originates from the Greek term martys, which means witness. In Christian tradition, this term refers to someone who has borne witness to their faith to the extreme—meaning even at the cost of their life. To be recognized as a martyr, the church must demonstrate that they died a violent death specifically because of their faith or Christian beliefs. Additionally, their attitude is examined: it is crucial whether they accepted their fate without hatred and remained true to their conscience.

Martyrologium Romanum: A List of Saints and Martyrs of the Catholic Church

The memory of these individuals is preserved in the Roman Martyrology / Martyrologium Romanum—the official list of saints and blessed individuals recognized by the Catholic Church. Unlike the liturgical calendar, which only commemorates certain saints, the martyrology includes the names of all whose memory the church honors on the anniversary of their death each day of the year.

What Does Beatification Mean

Beatification is a church acknowledgment that a certain person lived an exceptionally virtuous life and can be presented as an example to the faithful. It is not a quick process—there’s a beatification process that includes a lengthy examination of the candidate’s life, their actions, and circumstances surrounding their death. Historians, theologians, and other experts study historical documents, correspondence, testimonies from witnesses, and other sources. They assess whether the individual truly exhibited heroism of faith and if any miracles are associated with their name. The findings are evaluated by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Beatification and Canonization, with the final decision confirmed by the Pope. Beatification is also a step on the journey to canonization, which is the declaring of someone as a saint.

Martyrs and Blesseds in Czech History: From the Middle Ages to the 20th Century

Czech history also includes numerous figures whose deaths were related to faith and religious conflicts. Among the earliest martyrs in Czech lands are Saint Ludmila, who was strangled at Tetín in 921, and her grandson Saint Václav, who was murdered several years later in Stará Boleslav. Saint Vojtěch, the bishop of Prague, is also considered a martyr as he died during a mission among pagan Prussians. In later centuries, martyrs included Saint Jan Nepomucký, traditionally said to have been martyred in 1393 in Prague for the secrecy of confession. The tumultuous period of religious conflict in the early 17th century also saw the story of priest Jan Sarkander, who died after being tortured in Olomouc.

Among the blessed martyrs are fourteen Franciscans, murdered in 1611 during the invasion of the Bavarian troops into Prague at a monastery near the Church of Our Lady of the Snows. They were beatified in 2014 along with two religious sisters who were killed by the Nazis—these were Marie Restituta and Marie Antonína Kratochvílová. Additionally, just a decade earlier, the last Czech king and Emperor of Austria-Hungary, Karel I, was also beatified.

However, many other figures are still awaiting beatification. For example, cardinal Josef Beran and priest Josef Toufar, whose death was connected to the so-called Číhošť miracle, are frequently mentioned.

Martyrs of the 20th Century: Nazism, Resistance, and Persecution of the Church

The 20th century brought new tragic tales, especially due to totalitarian regimes. During the Nazi occupation in World War II, many clergy and laypeople died, those who participated in the resistance or helped the persecuted. Individuals such as Vladimír Petřek, Václav Čikl, and Jan Sonnevend, along with other Orthodox clergy and believers from St. Cyril and Methodius Church in Resslová street in Prague, aided parachutists following the assassination attempt on spokesman Reinhard Heydrich. Some of them paid with their lives for this assistance.

After 1948, the church became one of the main targets of the communist regime. Religious orders were violently dissolved, many priests were imprisoned, and some political trials ended in sentences of death. This dark chapter of Czech history also encompasses the fates of priests Josef Toufar and Jan Bula and Václav Drbola, whose lives were unjustly cut short by the fabricated trials related to the Babice case.

Modern Martyrs: Jan Bula, Václav Drbola, and the Babice Trials

Jan Bula

Jan Bula was born in Lukov, near Moravské Budějovice. After studying theology, he was ordained as a priest in 1945 and began serving in the parish in Rokytnice nad Rokytnou in the Třebíč region. He gained significant popularity among the people—working with youth, creating paintings, and contributing to the repairs of the church. In 1951, he was visited by a former high school classmate Ladislav Malý, who instigated armed resistance against the totalitarian regime and claimed to have liberated Archbishop Josef Beran from internment and was looking for a reliable confessor. Although Bula refused to cooperate with him after several meetings, he was arrested at the end of April 1951, imprisoned, and accused of collaborating with Malý, who was linked to the so-called Babice murders in July 1951. In November 1951, he was sentenced to death and executed on May 20, 1952, in Jihlava prison at the age of just 31. After the fall of communism, he was rehabilitated, and in 2004, his beatification process was initiated.

Václav Drbola

Václav Drbola was from Starovičky near Hustopeče. He was ordained a priest in 1938 and gradually served in various Moravian parishes. In 1950, he became the pastor in Babice, where he was involved in both the spiritual administration of the parish and the activities of Orl and the Society of Catholic Apprentices. He too was approached by Ladislav Malý, and although he never met him, he was arrested in mid-June 1951. Two weeks later, following the murders in Babice, Drbola was violently coerced into confessing that he had instigated them. He was sentenced to death and executed on August 3, 1951 in Jihlava prison at the age of 38. After 1989, he was also judicially rehabilitated, and his beatification process was linked to that of Jan Bula in 2011.

How the Communist Regime Failed to Sweep the Babice Incident Under the Rug

The events surrounding Babice later found their way into popular culture. Television viewers may recognize the Babice case from the series Thirty Cases of Major Zeman, created in the 1970s as a part of contemporary propaganda. An episode titled The Murderer Hides in the Field, aired in 1975, discusses the Babice events. The main character, a member of the National Security Corps named Jan Zeman, was portrayed by Vladimír Brabec as he had been in the other episodes.

The true events of 1951 are portrayed in the series in a significantly distorted manner, designed to align with the then communist regime’s viewpoints. The name of the village was even changed: instead of Babice, the story took place in Plánice. The reason for this alteration was straightforward: the regime sought to avoid reminding people about the actual site of tragedy in Babice in Třebíč. Although filming took place elsewhere, Plánice is a real town in Pošumaví, known for being the birthplace of inventor František Křižík. The two stories had no connection, yet even during the socialism period, inquisitive visitors and amateur “investigators” sought the school where the fateful shootout was supposed to have occurred. The regime’s attempt to obscure the truth had an unexpected effect: when locals explained that their town had nothing to do with the story, many started to dig into the actual Babice case on their own—discovering that the television version was merely propaganda.

The stories of Czech martyrs emerged in differing eras and under varied circumstances—from the early Middle Ages to the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century. However, they are linked by a common theme: the conflict between individual conscience and the power that attempted to suppress their faith or beliefs. That is why martyrs are not merely characters from old legends. Their stories are also part of the modern history of Czech lands, unexpectedly close and still resonant today.