GIROLAMO da PRAGA. - Bohemian religious agitator, born in Prague around 1380, died at Constance on 30 May 1416. He pursued his studies at the University of Prague, where among his teachers CHUS (v.), of whom he subsequently remained a faithful follower and collaborator. From England, where he had gone to study in 1399, he brought back the most notable WYCLIF, JOHN (v.), such as the Dialogus and the Trialogus, making them the object of extensive propaganda at home and abroad. He taught in Paris in 1405 and subsequently at Heidelberg and Cologne, everywhere arousing bitter resentment on the part of the ecclesiastical authorities because of the boldness of his doctrines.
Having returned to Prague, he again taught at that University in 1407, widely disseminating Wycliffite and Hussite doctrines there. Together with Hus, he took a very active part in the struggle against the foreign element in the University, which ended with its exodus following the so-called decree of «Kutná Hora» of 1409. Forced, however, to leave Bohemia because he had been excommunicated, he took refuge in Hungary at the court of Sigismondo (1410), whence he later went to Vienna, where a new excommunication reached him; there he was summoned to defend himself against the suspicion of heresy, but, having failed to appear, he was tried in absentia. After a brief return to Prague in 1412, he went to Cracow to the grand duke Witoldo, whom he accompanied on his expeditions in Russia and Lithuania.
Having meanwhile learned of Hus's arrest, he went (1415) to Constance to defend his master, notwithstanding the latter's prohibition against anyone following him; he was therefore preparing to return to Bohemia when he was arrested at Hirschau on the Swiss border and brought back to Constance.
Brought before the Council, he was charged with heresy and invited to recant. He did in fact recant on 11 and 23 September, and abjured the doctrines of Wyclif and Hus, rejecting the former's 45 articles and the latter's 30, and declaring
that he submitted to the authority of the Church and of the Council. Nevertheless, he subsequently returned to affirming his former opinions, maintaining that he was wholly in agreement with Wyclif, from whom he differed only concerning the Sacrament of the altar, and with his master Hus, thus repudiating his recantation, which he said he had made incendi metu et non conscientia, although convinced that in this way he was sealing his own end. The Council therefore condemned him, as a relapsed heretic, to be burned at the stake, handing him over for execution to the secular arm.
G. da P. left no writing concerning his theories in religious matters, since his activity was entirely limited to the mere propagation of Hussite doctrines without any personal addition; there remain, however, two philosophical dissertations of rather limited importance: Positio de universalibus and Quaestio de universalibus.
GIROLAMO da PRAGA. - Apostle of Lithuania and Camaldolese theologian, born in Prague in the second half of the fifteenth century, died at S. Matteo di Murano (Venice) on 17 July 1440.
Desirous of escaping the disturbances in his homeland, he went to Poland, where he was well received by King Ladislao, who recommended him to Duke Witoldo of Lithuania; there, through remarkable deeds recounted by Enea Silvio Piccolomini (De statu Europae sub Friderico III imperatore), he succeeded in converting numerous pagans.
Dismissed, perhaps because of political interference, by Witoldo, he returned to Poland (1405), where he remained for five years, preaching at court and preparing his unpublished oratorical trilogy: Linea salutis aeternae (explanation of the Gospel); Quadragesima salutis aeternae (Lenten sermons); Exempla salutis aeternae (panegyrics). In 1408 he left Poland and, after long wanderings, became a hermit at Camaldoli, together with his companion, the Pole Nicola di Michele. This occurred before 1413, since in that year he was elected superior of the sacred hermitage. In 1430 he visited the Holy Land and at Nicosia (Island of Cyprus) held a disputation with the dissenting Greeks, refuting their errors. In 1431 he went, as definitor, to the abbey of S. Maria in Urano (Bertinoro) for the Chapter, TRAVERSARI, AMBROGIO (v.) was elected general; he frequently clashed with him, also because G. gladly accepted the invitation of the Fathers of Basel to go to the Council, where he was honourably received by the prior of the Charterhouse.
Of his numerous works, only 14 were published by Mittarelli; the principal ones are: Sermo de corpore Christi contra Hussitas (Annales Camaldulenses, IX, Venice 1773, cols. 744-55); Tractatus contra haereticos Bohemos (ibid., cols. 755-802); De Graecorum erroribus (ibid., cols. 916-19); Sermo de vera et falsa paenitentia (ibid., cols. 919-40). G. is not a profound theologian, but provides interesting information concerning the errors he combats.