Orthodoxy and the Protestant Reformation
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Orthodoxy and the Protestant Reformation
It was in the sixteenth century on an October 31 that Martin Luther
first made public his "95 Theses" against the Roman Catholic church,
thereby inaugurating the Protestant Reformation.
The term "Protestant" comes from "protest" and was used to describe
radicals who swam against the stream, especially when the Church was
involved. One of the first to be called a "protestant" was Joan of
Arc. Her excommunication and subsequent burning as a heretic was a
religious form of revenge exacted by an angry English Church and
people.
Another "protestant" who was actually burned on the same day as Joan,
was the Czech Reformer Jan Hus (+1415). It is in the life and times of
Jan Hus that we best see the religious issues surrounding the genesis
of the Reformation.
A Catholic priest and theologian, Fr. Jan Hus (from his town of
Husinec) was very interested in the pastoral care of his Czech flock.
Hus was well aware of the former Cyrillo-Methodian heritage of Bohemia
and the surrounding areas from the time of Prince (Saint) Rostislav
who first invited the Thessalonian brothers to his domains.
The later imposition of Roman Catholicism and of German colonial rule
on Bohemia and the Czech lands were to become the "lords of spiritual
misrule," according to Jan Hus.
Roman Catholicism imposed the foreign language of Latin on the Slavic
Czechs, rather than the previous Slavonic of Sts. Cyril and Methodius
which was entirely understandable.
This meant that the people could no longer understand the Church
services or the Scriptures. With the imposition of Latin, the people
fell away from an active and intelligent participation in the life of
Christ through the Church. Consequently, their spiritual and moral
lives fell to an all time low.
In his writings and sermons, Hus decries the moral laxity of the
clergy in Bohemia. The higher clergy are overly concerned with
property and finances, he said, and the lower (celibate) clergy's
sexual morals were a scandal to the laity. Hus was also strongly
against mandatory celibacy for the clergy. He was in favour of a sound
monastic life.
To show how low the level of religious awareness became in Bohemia,
Hus cites an example of a parishioner who thought that "Sviata
Troytsa" or, in English, "Holy Trinity" was a female saint! Something
similar happened in Rome itself when the Greek Church of the
Resurrection or the "Anastasis" became the Church of "St Anastasia."
Hus was also particularly angry that the Roman Rite of his time
forbade Communion from the Chalice. Later on, the movement that
originated with Hus took the Chalice as its main outward symbol.
Hus also objected to the strong German influence at the University of
Prague and other cultural influences that diluted the Slavic culture
of his people, especially in the Church.
Hus maintained that this prevented the proper inculturation of the
Gospel among the Czechs and hurt their overall evangelization.
Hus began to get into trouble when his preaching against moral laxity
reached to the heights of papal authority. His Bethlehem Chapel in
Prague, for example, contained paintings of moral comparison. On the
one side was a picture of St Peter walking humbly. On the other, was a
picture of the current popes being carried throughout the streets of
Rome . . .
Hus also preached against the use of Czech resources to help fight the
papal wars. He found that to be totally at variance with the Gospel of
Christ!
Called to the Roman Council of Constance to answer charges of heresy,
Hus went with the promise of safe passage from the Emperor. But once
at Constance, Hus was arrested and kept in dark prison for about a
year. He was tried for trumped up charges, such as teaching there was
a "fourth person" in the Trinity and similar such fantastic statements
concocted by his judges who were determined to condemn him.
For his part, Hus refused to answer the charges, so indignant he was.
Both sides hardened their positions very quickly. Hus was then
condemned to die by fire for heresy. He constantly demanded from his
judges that they prove from Scripture and Tradition that his views
were heretical. They would not because they could not . . .
Hus received a letter from Emperor Sigismund who said Bohemia was
worried about his safety. "Don't worry," Hus wrote back. "Your goose
("Hus" means "goose") is not cooked yet." This is the source for that
quaint locution!
His Czech friends and even some former enemies visited Hus in prison.
They tried to convince him to recant. However, if he believed in what
he said, then, they told him, he should remain steadfast until the
end.
Hus was taken in chains to the place of his martyrdom wearing a
heretic's hat with two devils depicted destroying a soul.
He was chained to the stake, with a chain around his neck so that the
cap wouldn't fall off too soon.
Jan Hus died forgiving his enemies, foretelling that the Church would
exonerate him, reciting the Creed and saying the Jesus Prayer. His
ashes were collected and thrown into the river to prevent people from
obtaining relics . .
.
The reaction to Jan Hus' death was immediate. The University of Prague
declared Hus a Saint and a Martyr and established July 6 as his Feast.
The Czech people painted his Icon in their Churches and every second
village, it is said, had a monument to their national martyr.
The Hussites were formed and Jan Zizka, the great Czech general,
repelled the papal forces from Bohemia no less than five times, using
brilliant military strategy. The Ukrainian Prince, later Saint,
Theodore Ostrozhky, borrowed from Zizka's tactics against the Poles in
Western Ukraine, (with tremendous success).
Orthodox theologians analyzing the life and times of Jan Hus have
always maintained that he wanted to return to the former spiritual
heritage of Cyril and Methodius. He was not a classical "protestant,"
but a reforming churchman.
A married priesthood, the national language in the Church and
Communion in both Kinds, among other things, were all part of the
Cyrillo-Methodian Christian tradition.
A Wycliffite theologian in the person of John Payne visited Prague in
the aftermath of Hus' martyrdom. From there, he visits the Orthodox
Church at Constantinople. There he becomes Orthodox and is consecrated
a Bishop for the Orthodox Hussite movement that had started in Bohemia
at that time.
"Constantine Anglikos" then spends his life working among the
Hussites. One Orthodox Bishop indicated to me that the Hussites were
always, in fact, of an Orthodox orientation and many of them did join
the Orthodox Church.
Certainly, the Hussite movement had much to do with the resurgence of
Orthodoxy in Bohemia in the twentieth century. It is not surprising
that one of the great national martyrs of the Czech Republic is an
Orthodox Bishop, St Gorazd of Prague, who was martyred by the Nazis
for hiding Czech patriots!
Also, Hus' associate, Jerome of Prague, himself a student of Wycliffe
in London, also became Orthodox in Latvia during his visit there. He
died a similar death, at the stake, for the "Orthodox Catholic
Church," as he said. Jerome's Orthodox baptismal certificate has been
located and there is interest in the possibility of formally
glorifying him as an Orthodox saint.
Several years ago, I came across a very mission-minded Czech Orthodox
priest who had received numerous Hussites into the Church. He told me
he was in favour of the Church declaring Hus a saint and allowing for
his veneration. This was part of the Hussite heritage, he said, and
would make for an even greater conversion of the Hussites to
Orthodoxy.
Certainly, Jan Hus has been honoured by many Pan-Slavists, including
Taras Shevchenko.
In his poem, The Heretic, Shevchenko, himself an Orthodox Christian,
has this to say about Mistr Jan Hus:
"Receive then this poem about the Holy Czech, the Great Martyr, the
Glorious Hus! And I will pray that all Slavs become as heretical as
the Great Heretic of Constance!"
The Pope of Rome has recently apologized for the suffering of Hus at
the hands of the Roman Church and there seems to be a rehabilitation
process afoot for Hus, spurred on especially by German theologians.
Clearly, the tradition of Jan Hus belongs with that of the Orthodox
Church. His reformation was based on the Fathers and Sts. Cyril and
Methodius.
His message and witness remain cogent and relevant in our times,
especially with respect to the tenor of "ecumenical" discussions
between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
To both, Jan Hus is saying, I believe, "Return to the Tradition and
the Fathers of Christ's One Holy, Orthodox-Catholic and Apostolic
Church!"
This is the kind of "protestant reformation" that we should all be
faithful to.
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learner
> To both, Jan Hus is saying, I believe, "Return to the Tradition and
> the Fathers of Christ's One Holy, Orthodox-Catholic and Apostolic
> Church!"
> This is the kind of "protestant reformation" that we should all be
> faithful to.
Hmmm. Hus also said that the clergy must not own goods and that
mortal sin deprives priests of their spiritual authority and the right
to preach. Doesn't sound very Orthodox to me!
Learner