John Hus (1374-1415) was ordained as a priest in 1401. He spent most of his life as a teacher at Prague’s Charles University. On the side, he preached at Prague’s Bethlehem Chapel, into which 3,000 people crowded to hear his sermons.
The chapel walls were painted with scenes to illustrate Hus’ teachings. Along with John Wycliffe, he emphasized the Bible as the church’s authority and stressed Biblical preaching. One wall’s scene showed the pope riding a horse while Christ walked barefoot. On another, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet while the pope had his feet kissed.
Hus also stressed personal purity in a person’s life. He denounced the clergy’s immoral and extravagant lifestyles and preached against indulgences, which were purchased religious favors. He boldly claimed Jesus Christ to be the sole head of the church.
The clergy did not take Hus' beliefs lightly. The archbishop of Prague warned him to stop his preaching and ordered the university to burn Wycliffe’s writings, some of which Hus had painstakingly copied. Hus refused. And the archbishop excommunicated him and the city of Prague, which meant none of city’s citizens could receive any sacrament such as baptism or communion.
In 1415, the Council of Constance summoned Hus. The council had been convened to settle the scandalous problem of having two popes, one in Italy and one in France. The council restored the one pope, then continued to deal with Hus.
Hus had come to the council willingly because of Emperor Sigismund's and a papal assurance of safety. But when he arrived, he was put into a cell next to the sewer. After days of discussion, the clergy condemned Hus to die.
On his way to his execution, Hus passed a churchyard bonfire of his books, one of which was On the Church, in which he defended the clergy’s authority, yet claimed God alone could forgive sins. In days of indulgences, people could buy their forgiveness.
On July 6, 1415, Hus was burned at a stake. Hus means goose in Czech; thus the words, your goose is cooked, came into saying.
Because Hus had been popular with the lay people, his death increased his fame. His followers rebelled against the Catholic church and the German-dominated empire. Despite the rulers efforts, an independent church survived and was known as Unitas Fratrum or the Unity of the Brethren.
What does it tell us about ourselves?
Fairest Lord Jesus