Council of Constance

Great Schism, The

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In the late fourteenth century, the papal seat was moved to Avignon. The subservience of the papacy to France alienated both England and Germany and tales of debauchery shocked and demoralized the laity. The pope was urged by faithful leaders to return to Rome, advice Gregory XI took in 1377. Unfortunately, the return was very displeasing to a corrupt faction of the clergy, and the next year they took the radical step of electing another pope. For the next thirty-six years, until the Council of Constance met in 1414, this Great Schism, as it was called, could not be healed. The national leaders of Europe fell on both sides of the issue as seemed to their advantage. The people steadily lost respect for popes who hurled curses at each other.

Impact: Three councils met one after another in an attempt to bring order out of chaos and to reform the Church. These three are called the Reforming Councils, and they constitute an important chapter in the history of the first half of the fifteenth century.

Wycliffe, John

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John Wycliffe (c. 1329-1384) was known as the first among the great Reformation figures. He was born in Yorkshire, England and studied at Oxford, an institution he remained connected to throughout his life as a teacher and writer. When his opposition to papal abuses became known to the Vatican he was summoned before a tribunal where his ideas were condemned. His popularity was such that the pope’s decree did little to subdue the desire among the general population of England to learn more about his convictions. These included the belief that the Bible is the final authority in all matters of religion, not the pope; that the pope is not infallible; that the Scriptures should be made available to all people, not just the clergy; and that the clergy should serve rather than rule the people. Despite public enthusiasm for his work, the Archbishop of London succeeded in having him suppressed and he was officially prohibited from preaching. He spent the remainder of his life writing and preparing an English translation of the Bible. At the Council of Constance in 1415 all of his surviving books that could be found were ordered burned. He ignited the spark that would blaze forth a century and a half later on October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther posted his ninety-five Theses on the church door at Wittenberg and the Protestant Reformation began in earnest.

Hus, John

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John Hus (c. 1373-1415) was born in Bohemia, or what is today the Czech Republic. Hus was of peasant stock but distinguished himself academically and was accepted into the University of Prague. In 1402 he was ordained to the priesthood and became the chaplain at the University. Although a loyal Roman Catholic he sympathized with the reform efforts of John Wycliffe in England. He became a leading figure in the region, writing and preaching on behalf of the religious rights of the people. For his convictions the church leadership excommunicated him. This only inspired him to further promote his reform views, which now included disputing such matters as worship of the saints, transubstantiation, and the primacy of human authority over the Scriptures. In 1414 he was summoned before the Council of Constance and in 1415, despite promises from the pope that he would not be condemned and executed, he was burned at the stake. His popularity made him a martyr to the people of Bohemia and his death helped lay the groundwork for the acceptance of future reformers.