Heresy

Hus Emerges as a Leader

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Jan Huss

During this time, Hus was teaching at the university and was preaching at the church. He was a dynamic speaker and he drew large audiences. He was not the only one, either. The combination of condemnation of clerical abuses (always a popular theme), coupled with Czech pride, made a volatile combination. Normally, the authorities would have cracked down, but King Wenceslaus was lethargic in 1408-1410, not taking any sort of action. And the archbishop likewise essentially ignored the reformers.

In 1410, however, the archbishop moved more strongly. Wyclif's works were being condemned over in England, and the archbishop now burned Wyclif's works. The students rioted and matters got hot enough that the archbishop resigned in July. His successors over the next few years returned to a policy of ignoring the reformers.

Hus was emerging as one of the leaders in Prague, and in 1411 the pope summoned him to Rome to explain his views. Remember that there were two popes at the time, and Hus in any case challenged their right to judge him such matters, so he refused to go. The pope then pronounced a sentence of anathema on Hus and placed Prague under interdict so long as it should harbor him. Hus went into the countryside, travelling mainly through southern Bohemia, preaching constantly and pouring forth a barrage of tracts. The effect of the papal action was to spread Hus' ideas well beyond the city of Prague.