For over half of the twentieth century, across nearly half the globe, the Catholic faith was illegal, repressed, or restricted.
Since 1917, the atheistic, false messianic doctrine of communism had found its expression in state powers, whose messages of equality for all soon descended into totalitarianism, slavery, and slaughter.
The Catholic Church was a particular target of these regimes.
From secret Masses in the prisons of Cuba, to clandestine clergy in the catacombs of Bratislava, to showdowns with Soviet tanks on the streets of Brno, Catholics resisted communist persecution in any ways they could. Risking imprisonment or death on a daily basis, these heroic Catholics knew that preserving their souls was the greatest victory.
Here are some of their stories.