They burned the truth! Hus died on the border, but who betrays his legacy today?

When the border in Constance caught fire on July 6, 1415, it was not just the execution of one Czech preacher. Courage to stand up to the power system, which made the gospel of Christ into a tool of political, economic and spiritual domination, caught fire. Master Jan Hus did not die because he denied Christ. He died because he refused to remain silent in the face of the corruption of the church hierarchy and demanded a return to the Bible, truth and moral responsibility.

At the beginning of the 15th century, the Catholic Church was going through a deep crisis. Europe was divided by papal schisms, when several popes claimed the papal see at the same time. The highest representatives of the church waged political wars, collected high financial benefits, sold church offices and traded in indulgences. Spiritual life gave way to worldly power, property and political interests. It was against this form of the church that Hus spoke out.

His main theses were surprisingly simple. The highest authority is the Holy Scriptures, not the Pope. The true head of the church is Jesus Christ. Clergy should live a moral life and be an example to believers. The Church must not trade in salvation or abuse faith to gain wealth and power. The truth must be sought, loved and defended even at the cost of personal sacrifice.

These very ideas were dangerous for the church elite of the time. If it were true that the Pope can make mistakes, that the Bible is the authority, and that a corrupt cleric loses his moral authority, the entire power system of the medieval church would begin to collapse. The goose thus became a symbol of resistance against an institution that used to mistake its own authority for the authority of God.

The Council of Constance promised Hus safe passage through the imperial gleit. Nevertheless, he was imprisoned upon arrival. What followed were several months of imprisonment, interrogations and pressure to recant his views. Hus replied that he could not retract something he was not convinced was false. He didn't ask for a revolution. He asked for proof from Scripture. He didn't get it. Instead of theological or legal argumentation came the death sentence.

The burning of the Goose became one of the greatest moral failures of the medieval papacy. The church, which was supposed to preach the gospel, silenced its critics with borders. She used power instead of repentance. Instead of dialogue, violence. Authority of authority instead of truth.

The paradox of history, however, lies in the fact that his ideas did not disappear with Hus's death. On the contrary. They became the basis of the Hussite movement, which fundamentally changed Czech history. The later Reformation in Europe, including Martin Luther, found significant inspiration in Hus's legacy. What should have been silenced spread across the continent.

But history is full of paradoxes. The Czechoslovak Hussite Church, which subscribes to Hus's legacy, is today faced with the question of how far it is his true successor. Hus placed special emphasis on the knowledge of the Scriptures, the high level of theological education of the clergy, strict morals and preaching service. Critics of the current development point out that in some cases the traditional requirements for the theological training of clergy are weakening, systematic biblical work is decreasing and the church is finding it increasingly difficult to reach the public.

Equally disturbing is the sight of a number of temples that remain half-empty. The church, which originated as a reformation movement with enormous spiritual energy, is struggling with a decline in believers, an aging membership base, and a lack of spiritual vocations. Instead of a bold voice in society, a cautious administration is often heard. Instead of the struggle for truth, the struggle for the survival of institutions prevails. Instead of missionary zeal, resignation is often evident.

Hus never sought to build a new comfortable institution. He wanted a church that was not afraid of truth or self-criticism. A church that stands on Christ, not on careers, positions or possessions. A church that leads people to personal accountability before God.

Perhaps it is here that the greatest challenge is heard even after more than six hundred years. Hus's legacy is not a relic to be commemorated once a year with a wreath at the monument. It is an uncomfortable question addressed to every church: Are you really living according to the gospel, or are you just managing your own institution?

And that is precisely why Hus remains dangerous even today. Dangerous for any church that exchanges Christ for power, truth for comfort, and ministry for wealth management.

If Master Jan Hus entered the many churches bearing the Hussite name today, he would probably not look primarily at the liturgy or the names of the offices. He would ask whether the word of God is preached here, whether the clergy live by what they preach, whether people find a living faith and whether the church is willing to accept even the unpleasant truth. And if instead he found empty pews, spiritual weariness, internal strife, a decline in believers and a departure from his own reformation ideals, he probably would not have triumphantly rebuked this state of affairs, but wept deeply. Not that his name has survived the centuries, but that the legacy for which he gave his life is disgraced and requires a new reform.

Source:

1. ŠMAHEL, F., 2013.Jan Hus: life and work. Prague: Argo. ISBN 978-80-257-1046-0.

2. HOUSE, J., 1915.De Ecclesia (The Church). Transl. David S. Schaff. Westport: Greenwood Press.

3. PALACKÝ, F., ed., 1869.Documents illustrating the life, teaching, case of the Council of Constantin and the controversies about religion in Bohemia in the years 1403-1418 of Master John Hus. Prague: F. Tempsky.

4. FUDGE, T. A., 2010.Jan Hus: Religious Reform and Social Revolution in Bohemia. London: I.B. Tauris.

5. ŠMAHEL, F. and PAVLÍČEK, O., eds., 2015.A Companion to Jan Hus. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-28054-0.