From: jhpb@sarto.budd-lake.nj.us (Joseph H. Buehler)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: The pope and Galileo
Date: 11 Nov 92 08:03:03 GMT
Organization: none

I think the moderator asked for a summary of the Galileo case, so
here's one.  There is a good article in the old Catholic Encyclopedia
on Galileo Galilei.

There is a tendency for some parties to try and paint it as "Dark Ages
Catholic Church Mentality" vs. "Enlightened Modern Scientific
Mentality", with the palm being awarded to the latter, and boos and
hisses to the former.  That's a bit too simplistic.  According to the
CE, Professor Huxley (recognize the name?), after examining the
evidence, stated that the opponents of Galileo "had rather the best of
it."

As far as heliocentrism goes, it should be remembered that Copernicus
was a Catholic cleric, and published his work covering heliocentrism
with the approbation of a Cardinal and a Bishop.  Interestingly, for
75 years after Copernicus's publication, no scriptural or
philosophical criticisms were raised on the Catholic side, though
Luther and Melancthon condemned the book in no uncertain terms (this
according to the CE).

It should also be kept in mind that Galileo's scientific proofs of
heliocentrism were scientifically inadequate.  He had no conclusive
proof.  He failed to convince men such as Tycho Brahe and Lord Bacon
with what he had.  Scientifically speaking, heliocentrism wasn't a
sure thing yet.

Galileo was actually treated as a sort of conquering hero for some
time after he made his discoveries with his telescope.  He was
well-received in Rome.  He had friends in high places in Rome.

Where the problems came from was that Galileo was totally convinced,
conclusive evidence or not.  His character was such that he could get
pretty vehement about propagating and defending his ideas.  This
turned out to be not good, considering certain popular beliefs current
at the time.

It wouldn't have mattered whether Galileo got vehement about
heliocentrism, except that the popular mind had come to assume that
Sacred Scripture taught geocentrism.  The main concern of the Roman
authorities was to not shake people's belief in Sacred Scripture with
unseasonable attacks on geocentrism.  Remember that the Reformation
was not that old yet!

Cardinal Bellarmine, in charge of the case, I think, put it this way:

    I say that if a real proof be found that the sun is fixed and does
    not revolve around the earth, but the earth around the sun, then
    it will be necessary, very carefully, to proceed to the
    explanation of the passages of Scripture which appear to be
    contrary, and we should rather say that we have misunderstood
    these than pronounce that to be false which is demonstrated.

Galileo was a bit too vehement in his claims that heliocentrism was a
*fact*.  He probably should have limited himself to saying it was an
attractive hypothesis, and worked the masses into it gradually.

The men in Rome judging the case, of whom Robert Cardinal Bellarmine
was one, for these reasons, decided to prohibit Copernicus's work (for
the first time), but only until the various editions were corrected to
teach heliocentrism as a hypothesis, and not as an established fact.
Scholars could still read the inedited originals, if they wanted.

Galileo promised to abide by this, and things were smoothed over for a
while.  His character defects got the better of him eventually,
though, and he started agitating for heliocentrism again.  At this
point, the Holy Office tried and sentenced him.  He was confined for
about the last 10 years of his life.

Galileo's Protestant biographer von Gebler puts Galileo's trial this
way:

    One glance at the truest historical source for the famous trial,
    would convince anyone that Galileo spent altogether 22 days in the
    buildings of the Holy Office (i.e., the Inquisition), and even
    then not in a private cell with barred windows, but in the
    handsome and commodious apartment of an official of the
    Inquisition.

The Catholic Encyclopedia then goes on to note that Galileo's places
of "confinement" was allowed to be his friends' houses!  He was
certainly never tortured in any way.

The famous phrase "But it does move!" that he is supposed to have
uttered has no solid historical evidence for it; it first appears in
writing more than a century after Galileo's death.

A comment in passing: Cardinal Bellarmine, who was involved in the
trial of Galileo, is nowadays St. Robert Bellarmine, a Doctor of the
Church, one of the Catholic Church's best theologians.  It is not
likely that he made serious prudential errors in the trial of Galileo.

[While I've never heard that Galileo was tortured, I have heard that
he was "shown the instruments".  --clh]