Jan Kapistrán
(1386 - 1456) | Franciscan priest |
From the mid 1200\'s, the
order of brothers established by Saint Francis from Assisi in 1209
had been split into two branches of moderate members (conventuals
and Minorites) and more rigid members (observants and Franciscans).
In the 15th century Jan Kapistrán was one of the leaders of the
then more independent Franciscan branch and became a famous priest.
For his preaching ability the Pope sent him together with the
cardinal Mikuláš Kusánský on a great mission to Germany in 1451 to
suppress the spreading Hussite order. Arising Franciscans needed
the saints to overtake the Conventuals, and Kapistrán thought that
by converting Bohemia to Catholicism he could become one of them.
During the mission emperor Friedrich III. became well-disposed
towards Kapistrán and recommended him to the protection of Ulrich II. von
Rosenberg. Ulrich was one of the few Bohemian statesmen of a
truly international level who had contacts with the emperor and
prominent German and Austrian families. His leading position among
the Catholic aristocracy in Bohemia excited a feeling abroad that
he was absolutely devoted to Catholicism and wanted the Hussites
defeated - it was for this reason that Kapistrán placed his hopes
in Oldřich. When he did not receive an invitation from Jiří of
Poděbrady after his successful stay in Moravia, he came to Český
Krumlov on 15 October 1451 on Ulrich´s request. He helped to
stabilize relations in a local Minorite
monastery as well as influencing Ulrich von Rosenberg who had
abandoned his estates and handed over the rule of his Rožmberk
house to his son Heinrich. Kapistrán´s main objective in Bohemia
was Prague where he wished to hold dispute with the elected
archbishop of Prague Jan Rokycan. But an indignation was rising in
Prague against Kapistrán because he was constantly attacking the
compacts and acceptance of the Utraquists. Even the Catholics,
including Ulrich von Rosenberg, did not want to return to the
pre-Hussite situation which would have revived the power of the
Catholic church. The priest\'s choleric temper was apparent even in
the way that he spoke about Krumlov, the town of his protector, in
a response to Rokycan. Jan Kapistrán was evidently dissatisfied
with the conditions of the dispute because the location seemed to
be too vulgar for him. According to him there were, excepting the
family of Jindřich from Lipé, only solders and herdsmen in all of
Český Krumlov in front of whom Rokycan wanted to show his
adroitness. Maybe he was afraid of speaking in front of
well-educated men. Even Mikuláš Kusánský himself had to curb his
persistent attacks against Rokycan. Kapistrán stayed in Český
Krumlov a month and during this time he was miraculously healing
the sick, as usual, and winning people over to his religious
order.
Kapistrán still could not get to Prague and, with his idea to humiliate the heretical Bohemia, he turned the aristocracy of both religions against himself even more. With hope he left in the middle of year to Řezno where negotiations about a meeting of Mikuláš Kusánský with the Czechs should have taken place, although they never did. After Oldřich from Rožmberk and his son Jindřich disappointed him by submitting to Jiří of Poděbrady, Kapistrán tried in vain to influence the Czech king Ladislav Pohrobek. Considering his mission to Bohemia unsuccessful, Kapistrán allowed himself to be won over by Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini to fight against the Turks, who had taken over Constantinople in 1453. Kapistrán died shortly after he helped Jan Hunyady successfully defend Belgrade against the Turks in 1456. The miracles Kapistrán had been performing during all his missions allegedly continued after his death, and it was for their sake that in 1690 he was declared a saint.
(jh)