The trial found John Hus guilty of heresy and condemned him to death. Stripped of his priestly robes, he was tied to a stake, his hands behind him fastened with ropes and his neck with a chain. Straw and wood was piled around him up to his neck. He was given one last chance by the Roman Catholic Church to recant.

“God is my witness that I have never taught that of which I have been accused by false witnesses. In the truth of the Gospel which I have written, taught and preached I will die today with gladness.” Thereupon the fire was kindled. With uplifted voice Huss sang, “Christ, thou Son of the living God, have mercy upon me.” The wind blew the flame into his face; he still moved his lips and head, and then died of suffocation. His clothes were thrown into the fire, his ashes gathered and cast into the nearby Rhine. [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc05/Page_418.html]

What was it that Hus died for? He challenged the Roman Catholic Church on indulgences and wrote: “Man obtains forgiveness of sins by real repentance, not for money.” The Roman Catholic Church was receiving a lot of money through indulgences and was determined to protect this source of funds. It is said that three men who openly contradicted the preachers during their sermons and called the indulgences a fraud were beheaded.

Hus challenged the Roman Catholic Church on other issues as well. Those issues remain to this day and this church has strayed even further from the truth in the years since Hus.

Until the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church believed that only the Pope, Cardinals, and priests were the “Church.” Members of the Roman Catholic Church were not part of the “Church” and therefore needed communion with the “Church.” If a person does not have communion with the “Church” or if they are excommunicated, they have no hope of heaven. This view denies the truth of Scripture that says we transferred to the Kingdom of Heaven when we accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We are then part of the Body of Christ, the Church. No power or authority can separate us from the love of God. We are the Church under the headship of Jesus Christ.

The Roman Catholic Church has placed the Pope as head of the “Church” in place of Jesus Christ. Any religion that places someone or something else as head in place of Jesus Christ is false. The Mormons have Joseph Smith. The Roman Catholics have the Pope. The apostle Peter is listed by the Roman Catholics as the first of the line of popes however Scripture never records that Peter was made head of the Church. Jesus talked with Peter as recorded in Matthew 16:

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

In this passage, Jesus confirms Peter’s statement that Jesus is God, and that this revelation was granted by God the Father. Then Jesus says that He will build His Church – Jesus will build it, not Peter and not a pope. The apostle Paul confirmed this teaching in Colossians 1 speaking of Jesus Christ: 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

So not only has the Roman Catholic Church placed the Pope as head of the “Church” but in 1854 at the First Vatican Council, the doctrine of papal infallibility was approved. According to the Roman Catholic Church, no longer is the pope a human capable of sin (fallibility) like the rest of humanity, but now he is perfect. This is so contrary to Scripture. It was interesting to hear on the radio recently that the pope has confessed to stealing – I take that as a sign that he is fallible just like all the rest of us.

Only Jesus was sinless and perfect. He is fully God and fully human. He is building a the Church, a kingdom of priests who serve and obey Him. No other person since Adam was born sinless: not Mary the mother of Jesus, nor any pope.

Concerning Mary, the Roman Catholics have four dogmas: Perpetual virginity, Mother of God, Immaculate Conception and Assumption. Concerning Perpetual virginity they say that her marriage with Joseph was never consummated and that she had no other children. Concerning Mother of God they bring into question the eternal character of God. Concerning Immaculate Conception, they say that Mary was born sinless and therefore a suitable mother for Jesus. Scripture says we all have sinned and that only Jesus was born sinless. Concerning Assumption, there is no record of Mary being translated directly to heaven. This belief leads to further error that people should pray to Mary with the inference that as mother, she will tell God what to do. In fact we are warned not to try to communicate with the dead because that is witchcraft.

Hus was given a chance to renounce the truth of Scripture and to accept the dogmas and doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. He said he would rather die than deny truth.

I wonder how much we know about which things are truth and which things are not. If we can’t tell the difference, there is nothing to die for.