John of Falkenberg

John of Falkenberg or Johannes Falkenberg (born in Falkenberg, Pomerania, date unknown; died about 1418 in Italy — or, according to other accounts, in his native town) was a German Dominican theologian and writer.

His prominence in medieval history is due partly to the share he took in the Western Schism, but chiefly to his involving himself in the long-standing disputes between the Teutonic Knights of Prussia on one side and the allied Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania on the other. He is known as one of the first thinkers to advocate genocide of another nation.

Life

Little is known about his early life, save that he entered the Order of St. Dominic and spent his novitiate in the convent at Kammin. The fact that he was a master in Sacred Theology indicates that for a number of years he taught philosophy and theology in his order.

In opposition to many of his brethren and the general of his order, Bernard de Datis, who were firm adherents of the antipopes Alexander V and John XXIII, Falkenberg was an adherent of Pope Gregory XII. He carried his opposition so far as to refuse publicly in the Council of Constance to acknowledge Bernard as his superior.

Works

In the conflict between the Teutonic Knights on the one side, and Polish King Jogaila and Lithuanian Duke Vytautas on the other, Falkenberg supported the Knights, who waged a 100-year crusade against the pagan Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

At the time both sides submitted the dispute for mediation to the Council of Constance.

Falkenberg wrote a book, Liber de doctrina, published 1416, opposing Polish scholar Paulus Vladimiri. Liber de doctrina argued that the King of Poland and his adherents were idolators, and unbelievers; that the opposition against them was noble and praiseworthy. In Liber de doctrina Falkenberg justified the tyrannicide advocated by the Franciscan Jean Petit. Falkenberg concluded that it was lawful to kill the King of Poland and his associates.

Falkenberg also argued, in Liber de doctrina, that "the Emperor has the right to slay even peaceful infidels simply because they are pagans (...). The Poles deserve death for defending infidels, and should be exterminated even more than the infidels; they should be deprived of their sovereignty and reduced to slavery." Stanislaus F. Belch in his work Paulus Vladimiri and his Doctrine concerning International Law and Politics wrote that he was the first writer to formulate justification of genocide.

Falkenberg also published Satira in 1412, further attacking the Poles and King Jogaila. At this time King Jogaila was Christian, as was Lithuania. Falkenberg called King Jogaila a "mad dog," unworthy to be king. In a later work Tres tractatuli, published in 1416 Falkenberg attempted to refute Jean Gerson, Pierre d'Ailly, and other doctors of the University of Paris, who had condemned the works of Jean Petit. In this work, moreover, he denied the bishops the right to declare his book or any part of it heretical, claiming that in matters of faith the pope and general councils alone are infallible.

By order of Nicolaus, Archbishop of Gniezno, Falkenberg was imprisoned. The Poles demanded the conviction of Falkenberg for heresy, but in vain. His works were condemned by the Council of Constance as scandalously libelous, but not heretical. A similar verdict was given by the Dominican Order, assembled at Strasbourg from May to June 1417, which also condemned the author to life imprisonment. On his return to Rome, Pope Martin V took Falkenberg with him, and kept him for several years in close confinement. Whether he eventually regained his liberty or died there is uncertain.

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

John of Falkenberg — Author, b. at Falkenberg, Pomerania, Prussia, date unknown; d. about 1418 in Italy-or, according to other accounts, in his native town. Of his early life little is known, save that he entered the Order of St. Dominic and spent his novitiate in the convent at Kammin, a town of the above-named province. The fact that he was a master in Sacred Theology indicates that for a number of years he taught philosophy and theology in his order. His prominence in medieval history is due partly to the share he took in the great papal schism which wrought such confusion in the Church during the first part of the fifteenth century, but chiefly to his involving himself in the long-standing troubles between the Teutonic Order of Knights of Livonia and the King of Poland. In opposition to the general of his order, Bernard de Datis, and to many of the brethren of his province who were firm adherents of the antipopes Alexander V and John XXIII, he was a strong and ardent adherent of Gregory XII, the legitimate pope; and, being of a quick and passionate temperament, he carried his opposition so far as to refuse publicly in the Council of Constance to acknowledge Bernard as his superior. In the protracted and disastrous conflict between the Teutonic Order of Knights and Prussia on the one side and King Wladislaw of Poland and Duke Withold of Lithuania on the other, his sympathies for the former found expression in a book in which he undertook to show that the King of Poland and his adherents were idolators and unbelievers and that the opposition against them was noble and praiseworthy. In this violent work he maintained the principles of the licitness of tyrannicide, advocated by the Franciscan, Jean Petit: that it was lawful to kill the King of Poland and his associates (Mansi, "Conc." XXVII, 765). A little later he wrote "Tres tractatuli" (given as appendix to the works of Gerson in the edition of Dupin, V, 1013-32) in justification of his position and against Gerson, d'Ailly, and other doctors of the University of Paris, who had condemned the works of Jean Petit. In this work, moreover, he denied the bishops the right to declare his book or any part of it heretical, claiming that in matters of faith the pope and general councils alone are infallible. By order of Nicolaus, Archbishop of Gnesen, Falkenberg was thrown into prison. The committee appointed to examine the work recommended that it be burned. A similar verdict was given by a chapter of his order assembled at Strasburg from 30 May to June, 1417 which besides condemned the author to life imprisonment. The Poles earnestly demanded the condemnation of Falkenberg by the council, but in vain. When finally in the forty-fifth (last) session they attempted to force Martin V to give a definitive sentence, he imposed silence on their representatives and declared that in matters of faith and in this particular matter he would approve only what had been decided by the general council conciliariter. On his return to Rome, Martin V took Falkenberg with him and kept him for several years in close confinement. Whether he eventually regained his liberty or died there is uncertain.

QUETIF AND ECHAD, Script. Ord. Praed. I, 760; Allgem. Deut. Biogr., VI, 554-5; SCHULTE, Gesch. Canon. Rechts, Ii, (1877), 381-2; HUBLER, Die Konstanzer Reformation (Leipzig, 1867), 263; DLUGOSS, Hist. Poloniae, I (Leipzig, 1711, 2, 376.

Bibliography

In-line

Attribution

• • Quetif and Jacques Échard, Scriptores ordinis prædicatorum recensiti, notisque historicis illustrati ad annum 1700 auctoribus I, 760;
  • Allgem. Deut. Biogr., VI, 554–5;
  • Johann Friedrich von Schulte, Gesch. Canon. Rechts, Ii, (1877), 381–2;
  • Hubler, Die Konstanzer Reformation (Leipzig, 1867), 263;
  • Dlugoss, Hist. Poloniae, I (Leipzig, 1711), 2, 376.