Štěpán Trochta
| His Eminence Štěpán Trochta S.D.B. Servant of God | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal, Bishop of Litoměřice | |
 Trochta - 1970. | |
| Diocese | Litoměřice |
| See | Litoměřice |
| In office | 27 September 1947 - 6 April 1974 |
| Predecessor | Josef Koukl |
| Successor | Antonín Alois Weber |
| Other posts | Cardinal-Priest of San Giovanni Bosco in Via Tuscolana (1973-1974) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 29 June 1932 |
| Consecration |
16 November 1947 by Saverio Ritter |
| Created Cardinal |
|
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Štěpán Trochta |
| Born |
26 March 1905 Francova Lhota, Litoměřice, Austria-Hungary |
| Died |
6 April 1974 (aged 69) Litoměřice, Czech Republic |
| Motto | Actio sacrificum caritas ("Actions offer charity") |
| Coat of arms |
 |
| Sainthood | |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Title as Saint | Servant of God |
| Styles of Štěpán Trochta | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Litomerice |
Štěpán Trochta (Czech pronunciation: [ˈʃcɛpaːn ˈtrɔxta]) (26 March 1905 in Francova Lhota, Vsetín – 6 April 1974) was a Czech Roman Catholic who served as a bishop and later became a cardinal in pectore of the Roman Catholic Church in the former Czechoslovakia.
His cause for sainthood has opened and he is known as a Servant of God.
Biography
Priesthood and episcopate
Born in 1905, he grew up in times of hardship in his family, especially with the death of his father. He was a Junák Boy Scout and was later a Salesian monk.[1] Pope Pius XII appointed him as Bishop of Litoměřice in 1947. During the war Bishop Trochta was a leader of resistance against the Nazis and a known friend to Christians, Jews and Communists during years as a prisoner in Mauthausen and Dachau concentration camps.
After the war Trochta was spokesman of the Czechoslovakian Episcopal Conference in negotiations with the communist government from 1948 to 1949. In 1954, after a two-day trial, the supreme court sentenced him to 25 years in prison for spying for the Vatican.[2]
Cardinalate and death
He was named a cardinal in pectore in the consistory of 28 April 1969 by Pope Paul VI, and that appointment was published in the consistory of 5 March 1973. He died on 6 April 1974 in Litoměřice.
Cause of beatification
Currently, his cause of beatification is being prepared.
Notes
- ↑ "Stepán Cardinal Trochta, S.D.B.". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ↑ Czechoslovakia: crossroads and crises, 1918-88 Norman Stone, Eduard Strouhal 1989 "Bishop Trochta was tried on 22-23 June 1954. Recalling his various period of imprisonment long afterwards among friends, he said: 'Not even in Mauthausen were things so bad. The German concentration camps were not to be compared with ..."