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(Also spelledJohn).
Born at Husinetz in southernBohemia, 1369; died atConstance 6 July, 1415.
At an early age he went toPrague where he supported himself by singing and serving in the churches. His conduct was exemplary and his devotion to study remarkable. In 1393 he received the degree ofBachelor of Arts from theUniversity of Prague and in 1396 themaster's degree. He wasordained apriest in 1400 and becamerector of theuniversity 1402-03. About the same time he was appointed preacher in the newly erected Bethlehemchapel. Hus was a strong partisan on the side of the Czechs, and hence of theRealists, and he was greatly influenced by the writings ofWyclif. Though forty five propositions of the latter were proscribed in 1403 byecclesiastical authority, Hus translatedWyclif's "Trialogus" intoCzech and helped to circulate it. From thepulpit he inveighed against themorals ofclergy,episcopate, andpapacy, thus taking an active part in the movement for reform. Archbishop Zbynek (Sbinco), however was not only lenient with Hus, but favoured him with an appointment as preacher to the biennialsynod. On the other handInnocent VII directed thearchbishop (24 June, 1405) to take measures against theheretical teachings ofWyclif, especially thedoctrine ofimpanation in theEucharist. Thearchbishop complied by issuing a synodaldecree against theseerrors — at the same time he forbade any further attacks on theclergy. In the following year (1406) a document bearing theseal of theUniversity of Oxford and eulogizingWyclif was brought by twoBohemian students toPrague; Hus read it in triumph from thepulpit. In 1408 Sbinco received aletter fromGregory XII stating that theHoly See had been informed of the spread of theWycliffiteheresy and especially of King Wenceslaus's sympathy with the sectaries. This stirred up the king to measures of prosecution and aroused theuniversity to clear itself of the suspicion ofheresy. At the Junesynod it was ordered that all writings ofWyclif should be handed over to thearchdiocesan chancery for correction. Husobeyed the order, declaring that he condemned whatevererrors these writings contained.
About the same time a new conflict broke out on national lines. The king agreed to the "neutrality" plan proposed by the secessionistcardinals at theCouncil of Pisa and endeavoured to have it recognized by theuniversity. The Czechs fell in with his wishes but the three other "nations" refused. The king then decreed (18 January, 1409) that in theuniversity congregations the Czechs should have three votes, and the other "nations" should have only one vote between them. In consequence the German masters and students in great numbers (5,000 to 20,000) leftPrague and went toLeipzig, Erfurt, and otheruniversities in the North. The king now forbade communication withGregory XII and proceeded against those of theclergy who disregarded his prohibition. In consequence thearchbishop placedPrague and the vicinity underinterdict, a measure which cost many of the loyalclergy their position andproperty. Hus, who had become once morerector of theuniversity, was called to account by thearchbishop for hisWycliffite tendencies and was reported toRome with the result thatAlexander V, in aBull of 20 December 1409, directed thearchbishop to forbid any preaching except incathedral,collegiate,parish, andcloister churches, and to see thatWyclif's writings were withdrawn from circulation. In accordance with theBull thearchbishop at the Junesynod of 1410, orderedWyclif's writings to beburned and restricted preaching to the churches named above. Against these measures Hus declaimed from thepulpit and, with his sympathizers in theuniversity, sent a protest toJohn XXIII. Thearchbishop, 16 July, 1410,excommunicated Hus and his adherents. Secure of the royal protection, Hus continued the agitation in favour ofWyclif, but at the end of August he was summoned to appear in person before thepope. He begged thepope to dispense with the personal visit and sent in his stead representatives to plead his case. In February 1411,sentence ofexcommunication was pronounced against him and published on 15 March in all the churches ofPrague. This led to further difficulties between the king and thearchbishop, in consequence of which the latter leftPrague to take refuge with theHungarian KingSigismund. But he died on the journey, 23 September.
Hus meanwhile openly defendedWyclif, and this position he maintained especially against John Stokes, a licentiate ofCambridge, who had come toPrague and declared that inEnglandWyclif was regarded as aheretic. With no less vehemence Hus attacked theBulls (9 September and 2 December 1411) in whichJohn XXIII proclaimedindulgences to all who would supply funds for thecrusade against Ladislaus of Naples. Both Hus and Jerome of Prague aroused theuniversity and the populace against thepapal commission which had been sent to announce theindulgences, and its members in consequence were treated with every sort of indignity. The report of these doings led theRoman authorities to take more vigorous action. Not only was the formerexcommunication against Hus reiterated, but his residence was placed underinterdict. Finally thepope ordered Hus to beimprisoned and the Bethlehemchapel destroyed. The order was notobeyed, but Hus towards the end of 1412 leftPrague and took refuge at Austi in the south. Here he wrote his principal work, "De ecclesiâ". As the king took no steps to carry out thepapal edict, Hus was back again atPrague by the end of April, 1414, and posted on the walls of the Bethlehem Chapel his treatise "De sex erroribus". Out of this and the "De ecclesiâ"Gerson extracted a number of propositions which he submitted to Archbishop Konrad von Vechta (formerlyBishop ofOlmütz) with a warning against theirheretical character. In November following theCouncil of Constance assembled, and Hus, urged byKing Sigismund, decided to appear before that body and give an account of hisdoctrine. AtConstance he was tried, condemned, andburnt at the stake, 6 July, 1415. The samefate befell Jerome of Prague 30 May, 1416. (For details seeCOUNCIL OF CONSTANCE.)
APA citation.Wilhelm, J.(1910).Jan Hus. InThe Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07584b.htm
MLA citation.Wilhelm, Joseph."Jan Hus."The Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 7.New York: Robert Appleton Company,1910.<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07584b.htm>.
Transcription.This article was transcribed for New Advent by Tomas Hancil.
Ecclesiastical approbation.Nihil Obstat. June 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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