John of Capistrano, St (1386-1456)

Italian preacher and theologian. Most of his religious life was spent as papal legate to various states. In that capacity he proved himself a tireless worker in the cause of orthodoxy, opposing the Fraticelli and Jesuati in north Italy, the Jews of Sicily and Moldavia, and, especially, the Hussites of Germany and Bohemia. His attitude towards the Hussites has been adversely criticized; he aimed to prevent them negotiating with the Holy See on the ground that such talks were equivalent to condoning heresy. He was canonized in 1724, and, since 1969, his feast has been celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church on 23 October.

John was born in Capistrano in the Abruzzi, Italy. He began his career as a lawyer, and was for some time governor of Perugia until the death of his wife in 1416. He then joined the Franciscans and collaborated with St Bernardine in advocating the reform of his order. In 1455 Capistrano enrolled troops for a crusade against the Turks, and his efforts in this direction contributed to the relief of Belgrade.