That vacation is followed past times ii Czech holidays. On July 5th, precisely 1155 years ago, Greek missionaries Cyril together with Methodius brought writing (their artificial Glagolitic script) addition the Orthodox Christianity to Czechoslovakia (which was called Great Moravia).
The Czechoslovak together with Czech presidential flag says "Truth Prevails" ("Veritas Vincit" inwards Latin, "Pravda vítězí" inwards Czech). The truth was favored past times the initiative of all president Prof Thomas Garrigue Masaryk – precisely he belike celebrated the tradition of John Huss who is frequently associated with the fighting for the truth.
On July 6th, 1415, the Bohemian Church reformer together with forefather of Protestantism Mr John Huss was burned at stake inwards Constance, every bit a heretic, during an intimidating council. Huss was (mostly) a fan of a critically thinking 14th century English linguistic communication scholastic theologian John Wycliffe (who wrote inwards Latin). This Czech Catholic priest gave lots of cool sermons, criticized [not yet carbon] indulgences together with the corruption of the church building officials, said that the church building should live poor, all people should live equal inwards front end of God regardless of their sex, nationality, wealth, they should hold off for the truth straight inwards the Bible together with non enquire priests, he ever filled the Chapel of Bethlehem inwards Prague (by viewers including rabble, prostitutes, together with Queen Sophia, with others), earned the hearts of most Czechs including the Czech aristocracy, together with was inconvenient for the Catholic Church together with the allied High German political institutions – permit us telephone phone them the CDU – which decided to murder him.
Huss was also the most probable originator of the Czech diacritical signs – the letters that nosotros write every bit áéíóúůý žščřďťň these days (he started with dots higher upward the letters, something that all the same exists inwards Polish).
Since Charlemagne, the church building has operated every bit a totalitarian establishment of a sort. Inconvenient people could receive got been labeled heretics. Huss' instance wasn't an exception. How did it work?
Someone could receive got accused you lot of heresy. Anything that was inconvenient for the church building hierarchy was enough. In fact, 1 defining sign of a heretic was that he was stubborn. If you lot were stubborn, you lot could receive got been inwards trouble. Well, I would receive got sure been inwards problem quite often.
Huss made an awkward error inwards 1410 – he started roughly physical care for to legalize Wycliffe. This bureaucratic physical care for led to an escalating case that ended with his execution. This error shows that the case wasn't actually "ordered past times somebody" from the beginning. But the case that started was proficient tidings for many men, indeed.
H5N1 tragedy of his lastly days was that he believed that he was invited to Constance (where the principal finish of the council was to halt the papal schism) every bit a theologian, a scholar, an honest thinker together with intellectual large shot of the continental caliber with roughly interesting deep ideas that should live presented. In reality, he was invited past times bigots who were already decided to murder him.
As an accused heretic, he couldn't receive got had an attorney – non fifty-fifty an ex offo attorney. Perhaps fifty-fifty to a greater extent than importantly, presumption of innocence was replaced past times presumption of guilt for similar potential heretics. This is belike the most hitting similarity betwixt the medieval Catholic bigots together with the contemporary feminist ones. If someone accuses you, the default supposition must live that you're guilty. Also, every bit a potential heretic, you're exclusively allowed to respond Yes/No together with you lot can't ever clarify these binary answers. At least, Huss was generously allowed to defend himself thrice – his supporters secured it.
Huss (picture above) had lots of friends together with supporters, unusual ones together with Czech ones (including the Czech aristocracy together with the King Wenceslaus IV [well, he abandoned Huss at roughly point] who was afterwards replaced past times the High German Sisigmund inwards 1419 – Sisigmund was already of import inwards the Huss trial, too, e.g. Huss believed roughly document signed past times Sisigmund that claimed to protect Huss), together with he had lots of passionate haters, unusual ones together with Czech ones (the Czech ones demanded the harshest penalty – that's quite typical for our nation, too). He was clearly an idealist who didn't empathize what was going on together with wasn't quite familiar with the listing of accusations that were probable to live lethal for him.
His Catholic colleagues organized a monstrous party, brought Huss, railroad train to burn downwardly him to receive got roughly fun, together with asked him to recant for the lastly time. "I SHALL NOT RECANT", you lot aßholes, Huss famously responded, together with he was burned at stake.
The accusations against Huss were a mixture of technically valid points – Huss ignored his pause together with continued to give sermons, he declared to live subordinate to Jesus Christ together with no 1 else, he did aid to spread Wycliffe's texts that were already classified every bit heresy – precisely at that topographic point were lots of semi-truths together with downright lies, too.
For example, he was labeled the originator of the Calixtine thought (saying that all believers should accept both the blood together with torso of Jesus during masses – I hateful the Catholic staff of life together with wine) although he took it from someone else. Some of the anti-Huss witnesses were lying jerks who distorted the quotes from Huss' texts. He was ludicrously accused of trying to escape from the proceedings on a vehicle with hay. He was also accused of beingness really rich – roughly 70,000 golden florin coins – which was nonsense together with it shouldn't receive got been a crime, anyway. He was accused of pushing King Wenceslaus IV to create something close Wycliffe – the manly soul monarch wouldn't live interested inwards that theme at all. And together with hence on.
Some Czech historians believe that he could receive got saved his life if he had an attorney, or if 1 of dozens of unlucky details were avoided inwards roughly way.
In recent centuries, the Western culture respected the principles of fair trials – with the actual presumption of innocence for all suspects, regardless of the type of the accusation. All the defendants must live allowed to elaborate on their answers to the questions they're asked. They may convey their witnesses (Huss together with other potential heretics couldn't).
But the MeToo witch hunts are examples suggesting that roughly Western nations are returning to the medieval organization inwards which a sure form of lethal crimes are treated every bit a heresy – together with the defendants receive got almost no rights. If someone accuses you lot of these fatal crimes, you're basically destroyed.
Despite these threats, it's our moral duty to follow inwards the footsteps of John Huss together with stress that WE WILL NOT RECANT (especially if together with when we're non fifty-fifty at run a peril of beingness burned at stake similar Huss!) because at the end, THE TRUTH PREVAILS.
And that's the memo.