Consider this: A priest and martyr watches over us. The Hl. Johannes Nepomuk Statue stands as a testament to faith and protection.
Hl. Johannes Nepomuk was born in the mid-14th century. He is one of Salzburg’s patron saints. Above all, Hl. Johannes Nepomuk is a patron saint against dangers in and around water. He protects boatmen and raftsmen. It is said that he succors all travelers crossing a bridge.
The story of Hl. Johannes Nepomuk is compelling. He was a priest in Bohemia. The King Wenceslaus IV ordered him to be drowned in the Vltava river. Later accounts say he was the queen’s confessor. He refused to divulge the secrets of her confession. Because of this, Hl. Johannes Nepomuk is the first martyr of the Seal of the Confessional. He is a patron against calumnies. Because of how he died, he is a protector from floods and drowning.
Jan z Pomuku came from Pomuk. Pomuk is now Nepomuk in the Czech Republic. It belonged to a Cistercian abbey. Jan studied at the University of Prague. He studied canon law at the University of Padua from 1383 to 1387. In 1393, Jan of Jenštejn, Archbishop of Prague, made him vicar-general of Saint Giles Cathedral.
The issue was the appointment of a new abbot for the Benedictine Abbey of Kladruby in 1393. Wenceslaus was backing the Avignon pope Clement VII. The archbishop followed his rival Pope Boniface IX. John confirmed the archbishop’s candidate. On March 20, 1393, King Wenceslaus IV ordered John to be tortured. Then he was thrown into the River Vltava from the Charles Bridge in Prague.
Jan of Jenštejn called Hl. Johannes Nepomuk a holy martyr. This was in his accusation of the king to Pope Boniface IX. The bishop’s biography describes Hl. Johannes Nepomuk as “a glorious martyr of Christ”. He sparkled with miracles. The priest defended the laws and autonomy of the Catholic Church. He became revered as a saint directly after his death.
Many stories about Hl. Johannes Nepomuk came from Bohemian annalists. They wrote long after his death. Thomas Ebendorfer said King Wenceslaus drowned the queen’s confessor. He refused to betray the seal of Confession.
Paul Zidek provided more details. King Wenceslaus was afraid his wife had a lover. She confessed to Hl. Johannes Nepomuk. The king ordered him to reveal the lover’s name. When he didn’t, the king ordered John to be drowned.
Catholics see Hl. Johannes Nepomuk as a martyr. He defended the Seal of the Confessional. Romantic nationalists see him as a Czech martyr to imperial interference. Most historians see him as a victim. He was caught in the investiture controversy. This was between secular rulers and the Catholic hierarchy.
The cult of St. Hl. Johannes Nepomuk grew in the 17th century. It spread from Bohemia to many Catholic countries. These countries were ruled by or tied to the Habsburg family. Statues and churches are in Central Europe, other European countries, the Americas, and India. There are tens of thousands of statues worldwide. Hl. Johannes Nepomuk is the most represented Czech person in visual art.
Most statues are on bridges. Hl. Johannes Nepomuk is a patron saint of bridges. He protects against drowning. He is portrayed with a halo of five stars. The stars allude to the legend. Stars hovered over his body when found on the Vltava riverbank.
In 1729 Pope Benedict XIII canonized him.
Standing here before the Hl. Johannes Nepomuk Statue, we are reminded of his courage. We remember his dedication to his faith. May it bring succor to all travelers. May it bring us good fortune. May it ensure our safe return to Salzburg.