The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-10-01
Ae Old SANDER Revived.

Tho New Orleans Democrat has thought it
worth while to devote nearly q column Of
valuable space to publish an extract from the
Rome correspondence of the New York
Evening Post, in which the old ISLANDERS against
the Roman Catholic Church, in regard to the
trial of Calico, by the Inquisition, are revived
and paraded in a new dress. We are told that
Professor Domenico Berti has made great
discoveries, that he has studied the secret
archives of the Vatican but when we read
the particulars we find that the pretended dis
coveres are nothing but false statement of
the contents of the record of Galileo's trial
which record, so far from being a secret, was
published many years ago by per EMISSION of the
Pope himself. The documents contained in "a
book with faded green cover in the archives
of the Vatican, instead of supporting the
charges made against the Inquisitory of Rome
who tried Calico, prove the very contrary of
what Prof. Berti pretends. This ia what every
one knows who has paid some attention to the
subject. Nor is it dificult to know this, for
many editions of the record" have been pnb-
lished since more than twenty five years, in all
the languages of Europe as we'll as the Latin.
Indeed, Prof. Berti has msnifestly suppressed
some of the documents with which the learned
For instance, he pretends not to have discov-
cred the sentence of the court, whereas there
is not writer the history of that trial who
does not transcribe that sentence. But
easily divine why Berti, the Erening Post,
and the New Orleans Democrat do not do so;
for the sentence does not sustain the injurious
version which they would have the public be
leve, against the Holy Office Pope Urban VIII,
,La ,Iol; T. +hok Co.
from condemning Calico on account of his
theory of the rotation of the earth, the con-
domination directed against his teaching
that this scientific fact was stated in the B BILE
1t was held that the Bible neither proved
disproved the alleged rotation and this is all
Calico was required to admit on the authority
of the Holy Office. AS to his scientific PROPOSE
ton, the church left him perfectly free to be-
lieve it and to teach it scientifically In fact,
Pope Urban VIII WAS himself q believer in it.
1t then thing. Copernicus and
Tycho Brache had taught it before Calico,
who only proposed new demonstration of it,
based on the phenomenon of the ebb and flow
OF tides, and on texts Of the Bible. As to the
penalty imposed on Calico for his undue use
of the Bible, it very insignificant: a re-
treat of few weeks in q private residence.
No Imprisonment, no chains none of those
terrible surroundings which the Erening Post
and New Orleans Democrat industriously and
gratuitousy suggest. No ignorant and bigoted
priests prosecuted him; but on the contrary,
the Pope and priests patronised him. None of
them held that his theory contradicted the
words of he scriptures-but they held that the
scriptures could not properly be used for or
against it. His studies were not interrupted.
He was never threatened with torture. In
deed, in the very extract which the New Or
leans Democrat takes to be so valuable and
| truthful, after asserting that Galileo's studies
were interrupted, told few lines
further down that he continued them. The
"secret myrmidops of the Inqustiou" had
no secrets to discover about Calico; for all
that he was accused of, was public and noto-
rious: published by himself. His science was
not condemned by "b!gots," but his theology
was condemned by men more competent than
| himself in theological knowledge This has
been demonstrated over and over again from
the "record" and other authentic sources but
every now and then some rabid adversary OF
the Catholic Church comes out with rev
discovery" from what he is plea sed to call the
secret archives of the Vatican, obivicus of the
sbsurdity Of saying that the documents have
been carefully concealed from all envions eyes,
| and at the same time access BILE not only
| to Prof Berti, but to many Others before him.
1t is vain to hope that these systeuatic and
seIf-refuted lies will be discontinued, they will
be persistently reiterated, for they serve o
malicious purpose. That purpose is to asperse
and discredit the Catholic religion itself, and
start, if possible, in this country, persecution
of her children, such as the infidels are carry
ing on in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.
naatb ~ q T;++Ia s;..o- &c ,ho poo-