Czechoslovak communists tortured Czech priest Josef Toufar in 1949 for a miracle which may or may not have happened. This article describes the story and the tragic ending of Father Toufar’s life.
The miracle
On 11 December 19491, 47-year old2 parish priest1 Fr Toufar celebrated mass in the parish church3 of Číhošť2. During mass, several parishioners saw1 a metallic crucifix moving from side to side1 3. Just as Fr Toufar said the words, “one who is unknown is here among us in this tabernacle,” the cross bowed forward three times and then turned to face west1.
This is what people in the congregation claimed, at any rate.
Investigation and torture
The Czechoslovak secret police, known as the StB, investigated these claims1.
The StB arrested, tortured and assassinated Milada Horáková too.
Lieutenant Ladislav Mácha led the investigation1 and interrogated Fr Toufar about this3. He demanded that Toufar claim responsibility for the miracle2 3 as an agent of the Vatican1. After all, if Toufar claimed that he moved the crucifix then there would be no miracle to speak of.
Fr Toufar refused3.
The police beat him up for 4 weeks1 for refusing to collaborate3. They also denied him sleep and kept him in a cold dark cell in a high-security prison in Valdice, north Bohemia. His injuries were so bad he couldn’t talk, sit or walk3.
When he finally signed the StB’s confession, they took him to the church to record how he falsified the miracle1. The film shows the priest in utter agony with missing teeth, swollen hands and a bruised, swollen head1.
The StB distributed this to schools and cinemas nationwide before Toufar’s trial1.
The StB criticised Mácha for his sadistic actions1. In their eyes, any beating which resulted in death instead of a trial was not as useful a propaganda tool1. This was what concerned them.
They transferred Mácha to another department and that was the extent of his punishment1, if you can call it that.
Afterwards
Fr Toufar died two months later on 22 February 19503 of a burst stomach ulcer2. (Some accounts claim he died on 25 February1).
His relatives did not know he was dead2. The communists informed them of Fr Toufar’s death in 19542. They’d interred his body in a mass grave outside Prague2.
The communists used this story to suppress all religions within Czechoslovakia3. They did all they could to make sure no one would speak of ‘miracles’. They went as far as preparing a documentary that ‘proved’ this could not have been a miracle3. They also created bogus evidence showing Fr Toufar had abused young boys in the parish1.
Despite their efforts, the story of the Číhošť miracle survived.
In 1999, a court sentenced Mácha to 5 years of prison, commuted to 2 due to health reasons1. He only served 1 year1.
In 2014, the authorities exhumed his body from the mass grave2.
In 2015, the Catholic church held a celebratory mass on the 65th anniversary of Fr Toufar’s death3. The congregation packed the small parish church, outnumbering the population of tiny Číhošť4.
In July 2015, the remains of Fr Toufar arrived back in Číhošť for burial in a ceremony attended by thousands2.
On 30 October 2018, 95-year old Ladislav Mácha died a free man in Prague1. No one noticed his demise until a makeshift memorial to Fr Toufar appeared outside his home1.
The Catholic church is canonising Fr Toufar, and there are calls for him to be sainted2 3.
- StB officer who tortured to death ‘Číhošť miracle’ priest Josef Toufar dies a free man; Brian Kenety; Radio Prague International; 2018-11-16[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
- Over 100 pilgrims remember priest tortured by communists; Prague Daily Monitor; 2018-02-26[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
- Czech Priest Witnessed the ‘Číhošť Miracle’ and Was Killed for It; Bohumil Petrik; National Catholic Register; 2015-02-25[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
- Czech Priest Witnessed the ‘Číhošť Miracle’ and Was Killed for It; Bohumil Petrik; National Catholic Register; 2015-02-25[↩]