Is it possible that the very stones beneath our feet whisper tales of reform? Here at the Bývalá kaple, or former chapel, in Prague we find ourselves at a site imbued with the spirit of change and a fascinating past.
The story of the Bývalá kaple is connected with the Bethlehem Chapel. To truly understand this place we need to look at its bigger brother. The Bethlehem Chapel stands as a testament to Czech identity and religious reform. It echoes with the voice of Jan Hus. Hus was a key figure in the Bohemian Reformation.
Founded in 1391, the Bethlehem Chapel distinguished itself by holding sermons in the Czech vernacular. This simple act broke away from the German domination of the medieval Bohemian church. Imagine the power of hearing the word of God in your own language for the first time.
Jan Hus became the rector and preacher here in 1402. His sermons resonated deeply with the people. Even Queen Sophia, wife of King Wenceslas IV, attended them. She would sit in an oratory connected to the house of the chapel’s founder.
Hus challenged the Catholic Church’s wealth and practices. After his excommunication in 1412 the Pope ordered the Bethlehem Chapel’s demolition. But the Czech majority on the Old Town council refused.
After Hus’s death, Jacob of Mies continued his work. The chapel became a symbol of Czech resistance and reform. Later in the 17th century, the Jesuits acquired the Bethlehem Chapel.
In 1786, it was partly demolished due to disrepair. The surviving masonry was incorporated into an apartment building. Under the communist regime, the government restored the Bethlehem Chapel to its state at the time of Hus.
Today most of the exterior walls date back to the medieval chapel. Wall paintings show scenes from Hus’s time. Texts contrast Christ’s poverty with the Catholic Church’s riches.
The Bývalá kaple reminds us of the changes happening in that era. The name Bethlehem Chapel is now also carried by an asteroid. Czech astronomer Miloš Tichý discovered it in 1997.
The Bývalá kaple stands in Prague as a reminder of Jan Hus. It also reminds us about the courage to challenge the status quo.