Court in Litoměřice rehabilitates Cardinal Štěpán Trochta

A district court in Litoměřice issued a final ruling on October 1, 2026, rehabilitating Cardinal Štěpán Trochta, the former bishop of Litoměřice and co-founder of the Salesian work in the Czech Republic. The court determined that Trochta was unlawfully deprived of his personal liberty between July 19, 1950, and January 16, 1953, when he was interned in his residence under the continuous supervision of the StB.

Jan Jakovec explained that the restriction of freedom varied in intensity, noting that during certain periods, an StB officer even slept in the same bedroom as the bishop. The motion for rehabilitation was initiated by Jan Kratochvil, director of the Muzeum českého a slovenského exilu a emigrace 20. století.

Archbishop Stanislav Přibyl, the apostolic administrator of the Litoměřice diocese, expressed joy regarding the decision. He noted that many believers already considered Trochta a martyr and stated that the court's recognition of the unjustified harassment serves as a significant finding.