John Wycliffe is commemorated on December 31st

John Wycliffe is commemorated on December 31st

John Wycliffe was born North Yorkshire around 1330. 

He became an influential theologian, lay preacher, university teacher at Oxford and translator. An important dissident during the 14th century, his followers were known as Lollards. 

The Lollards preached anticlerical and biblically-centred reforms and were a forerunner of the Protestant Reformation. 

John Wycliffe was one of the earliest opponents of papal authority over secular power.  

Wycliffe preached three doctrines that the Roman Catholic Church recognised as major threats. Firstly he said that the individual’s interpretation of the Bible was the best guide to a moral life, as opposed to the Church’s emphasis on receiving its sacraments as the only way to salvation. Secondly he insisted that holiness of an individual was more important than his official role; that is, a truly pious person was morally superior to a wicked ordained cleric. Wycliffe challenged the privileged status of the clergy, which was central to their powerful role in England. Finally he attacked the luxurious and exorbitant luxury and pomp of the churches and their ceremonies.

Wycliffe was also an early advocate for translating the Bible into the populous everyday language as opposed to Latin as it was then. He completed his translation in 1382 directly from the Vulgate or Latin version into English. This is now known as Wycliffe's Bible.

It is probable that he personally translated the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; and it is possible he translated the entire New Testament, while his associates translated the Old Testament.

He died in 1384.