John of Nepomuk, one of the patron saints of the Czech lands, was brutally martyred on March 20, 1393, on the orders of King Wenceslas IV. He was beatified in 1721 and declared a saint eight years later.
It is said that the vicar-general to the Archbishop of Prague was tortured to death because he did not want to reveal the confessional secrets of Queen Sophie.
In reality, historical evidence points to King Wenceslas IV having had the court priest killed for siding with Rome in a political dispute over who would become the next abbot of Kladruby.
Whether the reasons for the martyrdom were power struggles or accusations of revealing confessional secrets, John of Nepomuk is regarded as a symbol of honesty, reliability and integrity. He is the patron saint of confessors, pilgrims, happy returns and boatmen and protector against floods.
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