John Wycliffe: The 14th-Century Priest Who Sparked a Secret Reformation

John Wycliffe, a 14th-century English Catholic priest and theologian, promoted ideas that foreshadowed the Protestant Reformation. He advocated for clerical poverty, opposed transubstantiation, and believed scripture was authoritative over church tradition. His followers, the Lollards, spread his teachings across England. In 1395, they presented the Twelve Conclusions to Parliament, criticizing church hierarchy and practices. Wycliffe was removed from Oxford University in 1381 for heresy and died on 28 December 1384 in Lutterworth. His bones were later exhumed and burned. The Lollards faced persecution but survived to influence the English Reformation.