Martyrs of Soviet Communism beatified in Estonia, Hungary
September 08, 2025
Two martyrs of Soviet Communism were beatified in separate ceremonies on September 6.
Archbishop Eduard Profittlich, SJ (1890-1942), appointed apostolic administrator of Estonia (map) in 1931, died in a Soviet prison. Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, the retired archbishop of Vienna, was the principal celebrant at the beatification Mass (video), which took place in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital.
“This day is a great gift not only for the Catholic Church in Estonia, but for the entire Catholic Church and Estonian society as a whole,” Bishop Philippe Jourdan of Tallinn wrote in a letter prior to the beatification. Archbishop Profittlich’s “fidelity to Christ and his love for Estonia, even unto martyrdom, remain a living example of hope, courage, and charity for all Christians.”
Mária Magdolna Bódi (1921-1945), a Hungarian laywoman who had made a vow of virginity, was martyred as she defended herself from a Soviet soldier’s attack on her chastity. Cardinal Péter Erdő, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and Primate of Hungary, was the principal celebrant at the beatification Mass (video), which took place in Verszprém.
“Yesterday the Church was also enriched by two new Blesseds,” Pope Leo XIV said during his Angelus address the following day. “In Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, Jesuit Archbishop Edoardo Profittlich was beatified. He was killed in 1942 during the Soviet regime’s persecution of the Church. In Verszprém, Hungary, the young laywoman Maria Maddalena Bódi was beatified. She was killed in 1945 for resisting soldiers who intended to assault her. Let us praise the Lord for these two martyrs, courageous witnesses to the beauty of the Gospel!”
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