Rehabilitation of an alleged heretic, Czech priest Jan Hus
15 August 2020
The Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate (BCP) hereby appeals to the Episcopate of the Catholic Church, especially the Czech Bishops’ Conference (CBK), to responsibly begin the process of rehabilitating the Czech priest Jan Hus. Card. Beran and Card. Vlk have already taken some steps in this. However, this just duty is still awaiting completion.
At the time of the Council of Constance in 1414-1418, Emperor Sigismund influenced the end of the period of three Popes through political intervention. It is a tragedy that this Czech dishonestly helped in committing a judicial crime and burning the Czech priest Jan Hus. He thus caused the outrage of the Czech nation and the subsequent Hussite Wars, and contributed to the suppression of the revival movement which was the hope for restoration of the Church.
The main reason why Jan Hus was burned was that he opposed the evils in the Church. With the help of false witnesses and intrigue, Jan Hus was branded a heretic and removed.
The basic question is: Was Jan Hus really a heretic, or was he an orthodox priest?
The documents from the trial in Constance were mysteriously lost. However, a detailed record of an eyewitness, Peter of Mladonovice, has been preserved. His report from Constance was known immediately after the death of the Czech martyr. Another testimony is the rich correspondence, records of sermons and speeches.
The BCP thoroughly studied the orthodox teachings of Jan Hus and testimonies of his moral and exemplary priestly life. On the jubilee day of his martyrdom, that is, 6 July 2015, this Patriarchate announced his canonization.
Jan Hus’ activity was preceded by a revival movement represented by Jan Milic of Kromeriz and Konrad Waldhauser. Milic died with a reputation for holiness, but he died in exile. The spiritual revival of the Church was stifled by the burning of the unwanted prophet and preacher of repentance Jan Hus. 100 years later, the Augustinian monk Martin Luther spoke out in Germany. This was followed by a reform but it was connected with the division of the Western Church. Much of Europe broke away from the Catholic Church. The subsequent so-called re-Catholicization was accompanied by religious wars which culminated in the Thirty Years’ War. The division of Catholics and Protestants in the Western Church is the fruit of a notorious rejection of true repentance among the clergy. To blame Luther alone for schism is unfair. To this day, Catholicism has not admitted that if Jan Hus’ calls had been taken seriously and a spiritual reform had taken place in the ranks of the clergy through true repentance, the division of the Church could have been avoided. Today we must accept the reality that Christianity is divided into three great currents: Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodoxy.
The Catholic Church is also to blame for the burning of Joan of Arc, whom it subsequently rehabilitated and declared a saint. However, the issue of the rehabilitation of the Czech priest Jan Hus essentially touches on the priesthood in its essence. It is related to the adoption of a true priestly lifestyle, based on a personal relationship with Christ and the true following of Him. This ideal of Christ’s disciple is the strongest motive for reevangelization. The priority mission of the Church is the salvation of immortal souls.
Those who avoided repentance found it very fitting to label Jan Hus a heretic and to remove him. This has for centuries stifled the reproachful voice of conscience, even at the cost of a judicial crime. For 600 years, the question of rehabilitation has been suppressed for the so-called good of the Church. If the Church raises this martyr to the altar at this time of uncritical openness to heresies and the spirit of the world, he will become a living ideal for the young generation of priests. Today, the Church needs a pure example of a heroic warrior for divine truths and moral values. Such was especially the Apostle Paul. Jan Hus had the same Spirit of truth, and he too could say: “To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21)
This Czech priest poses a challenge to the Church to restore not only the priesthood but also the Church itself. Restoration is extremely necessary today. In addition, his rehabilitation will bring to light not only the false reformers – heretical theologians – but also the current abuse of ecclesiastical authority.
The question of fair rehabilitation of Jan Hus will become the first step in beginning the process of true repentance!
If the leaders of the Catholic Church in the Czech Republic assume a self-critical and true attitude to the rehabilitation of the Czech martyr, God will give the light and strength to come out of the spiritual crisis that occurred after the Second Vatican Council. It has now reached its peak. In the civic sphere, we are witnessing a senseless worldwide quarantine which is denounced by real medical experts. In addition, worldwide vaccination is being prepared and experts radically warn against it as well. Those who are promoting vaccination are also promoting reduction of the population by six billion. And at this time, the Vatican becomes no light but darkness. With its last two documents, instead of issuing an urgent warning, it promotes compulsory “vaccination for all”. This is an extremely serious matter. It is not only a matter of temporal life, but there is a risk of microchip implants and eternal damnation due to the abuse of ecclesiastical authority! The Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate warns, but also points to the need for an initial step in true repentance, namely, the rehabilitation of the Czech martyr and preacher Jan Hus.
May Cardinal Dominik Duka together with the CBK take this first step.
The BCP hereby appeals to the Catholic Episcopate on the European and American continents not to hinder the Czech cardinal and Czech bishops regarding rehabilitation, because it is the duty of the Church in the Czech Republic to resolve this issue.
Finally, a short excerpt from the historical records about Jan Hus from 1415:
When the sentence was concluded, Master Jan Hus prayed in a loud voice for all his enemies: “Lord Jesus Christ, I implore You, forgive all my enemies for Your great mercy’s sake. You know that they have falsely accused me and have produced false witnesses and have concocted false articles against me. Forgive them for Your boundless mercy’s sake!”
In the final moments before being burnt at the stake, he said: “God is my witness that those things that are falsely ascribed to me and of which the false witnesses accuse me, I have never taught or preached. But that the principal intention of my preaching and of all my other acts or writings was solely that I might turn men from sin. And in that truth of the Gospel that I wrote, taught, and preached in accordance with the sayings and expositions of the holy doctors (tradition), I am willing gladly to die today.”
+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
+ Methodius OSBMr + Timothy OSBMr
Secretary Bishops
Copies to: The Episcopate of Europe and America
Download: Rehabilitation of an alleged heretic, Czech priest Jan Hus (15/8/2020)
The Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate (BCP) is a community of monks, priests and bishops living in monasteries. The BCP is headed by Patriarch Elijah with two Secretary Bishops, +Timothy and +Methodius. The BCP arose from the need to defend the fundamental Christian truths against heresies and apostasy. It does not recognize pseudo Pope Bergoglio and is not subordinate to him.
