Matthias of Kunwald

Matthias (Matěj) of Kunwald (died 1500) was one of the first priests of the Moravian Church of Bohemia in 1467.

Early life Matthias was a farmer's son from Kunvald. His date of birth is unknown but records indicate that he was twenty-five years old at the time of his ordination. He was elected a priest of the Moravian Church at the synod of Lhotka near Rychnov. The exact date of the gathering is unknown but is traditionally set as Holy Thursday, March 26, 1467.

The ordination of Matthias as a priest of the Unitas Fratrum was performed by Michael Bradacius. Bradacius was a Roman ordained priest but in order to satisfy some members of the Unity, he was sent to the "eldest Waldensian priest in Bohemia" because the Waldensians were believed to trace their roots back to the "uncorrupted pre-Constanian times of the apostles." However, newer members that were university trained began to question if the strict standards were necessary. This eventually resulted in the Schism of 1495 that divided the Unity with Matthias and those that agreed with him comprising the Minor Party. Matthias eventually resigned his administrative title but "retained his ability to ordain." Matthias consecrated Thomas (Tuma) and Elias as bishops of the Unity in 1499.