Council of Constance

==Condemnation of Jan Hus==
[[File:Vaclav Brozik - Hus.jpg|thumb|right|Painting of [[Jan Hus]] before the Council of Constance by [[Václav Brožík]]]]
A second goal of the council was to continue the reforms begun at the [[Council of Pisa]] (1409). The reforms were largely directed against [[John Wycliffe]], mentioned in the opening session and condemned in the eighth on 4 May 1415, and [[Jan Hus]], along with their followers. Hus, summoned to Constance under a letter of [[safe conduct]], was found guilty of heresy by the council and turned over to the secular court. "This holy synod of Constance, seeing that God's church has nothing more that it can do, relinquishes Jan Hus to the judgment of the secular authority and decrees that he is to be relinquished to the secular court." (Council of Constance Session 15 – 6 July 1415). The secular court sentenced him to be [[Death by burning|burned to death]] at the stake.

[[Jerome of Prague]], a supporter of Hus, came to Constance to offer assistance but was similarly arrested, judged, found guilty of heresy and turned over to the same secular court, with the same outcome as Hus. [[Gian Francesco Poggio Bracciolini|Poggio Bracciolini]] attended the council and related the unfairness of the process against Jerome.{{sfn|Shepherd|1837|pp=81-}}

[[Paweł Włodkowic]] and the other Polish representatives to the Council of Constance publicly defended Hus.