The Kidnapped Bishop

Book excerpt: In 1417 a bishop was kidnapped and held in a remote castle in Bohemia where he was forced to consecrate to the priesthood as many as 100 candidates. These priests belonged to the heretical movement of Hussite reformers. Though well-known amongst specialists, this unprecedented episode has never been systematically examined with a view to understanding if the coerced ordinations were lawful. Issues around legitimacy raise numerous questions and the narrative is situated at the compelling intersection of medieval heresy, theology, and canon law. The notion of kidnapping a bishop and forcing him to perform religious functions, consonant with the will of his tormentors, is arresting. More puzzling, the agents of coercion continued to value aspects of a faith they appeared to reject. They had no intention of practicing obedience to the Roman Church, its hierarchy or laws. The modern reader may be perplexed to learn that those responsible for the abduction believed a Roman prelate was necessary as an imprimatur of legitimation if their own religious practices were to survive. The episode, unique in medieval European history, presents an intellectual thriller.