Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-04-01
"GALILE0."
The Subject of the Fourth Lentsn Lecture
by Rt. Rev. Bishop Kain.

arce or lntOleIhnce, ana the TWO oIneI
with the interesting and oft-quoied histor
ical fsc,s of the massacre of.St. Bartholo
( M eW's day, and the Irquisition.
Another historical matter" said tn
Bishop, very frequently alleged TO proy'
the ChnIch's spiril of intolerance, as wei
as her opposition to the progress Of science
is the case Of Calico the Florentine Phi
losopher. 1t has often been charged tha
GalileO was inhumsnely tortured and in
carcereted for years il horrible dungeon
charges absolutely false. The cOndemna
ton of lis astronomical system, 1t has
been also alleged, was calculated to retard
scientific researches and discoveries. His
treatment by Rome has been constantly
represented as unjust and tyrannical, and
rs prompted by Rome's opposition to the
advancement of knowledge"
The Bishop first gave short sketch OF
Galileo's life and iavOrite studies before
explaining the special scientific theory
which involved him in difficulty with the
Roman authorities. This theory, that the
sun is stationary, and thst it is the earth
which daily revolves Oh its axis, had been
taught long ages before by Pythsgoras and
other philosophers. Il had been also held
and elucdsled by Nicholas Cusa in Rome
itself in the fifteenth century. Far from
beirg persecuted, Casa was hOnOred by
the highest ecclesiastical dignity, that oi
the Cardinalsie. Later still the same
scientific opinion had been taught aud
elaborated by another distinguished priest,
CoperniCus, from whom the system has
taken its name-Copernicanism. He was
always held in the highest esteem by the
Sovereign Pontif, to whom he rendered
valuable assistance in correcting the Julian
calendar. Why was he no. forbidden to
teach it? Nay, the system was actually
taught as scientific hypothesis in the
chief colleges Of ROme-not only in that OF
the Jesuits, bat ia the Sapieaza, the Pops's
own college.
"Do not these facts, - said the Rt Rev
Bishop, "ehow that the opposition to Cali
leo's teaching must have proceeded from
motives extInsic TO the system itself?
There is ample proof that Galileo, like
Cusa and Copernicus, received a most en-
thusiastio welcome on occasion Of several
visits made 10 Rome Among his staunch
frieods and admirers WAS Cardinal Bar
berini, who w4s Pope under the name of
Urban VIII. when the philosopher was
brought before the Inquisition IN 1888, and
condemned.
"Of late years, said The Bishop, call the
records bearing on GslilCo's case have
been published. From these it clearly ap-
pears that the ohstinacy with which Cali
leo presis;ed ia posing az sn interpreter of
Holy Scripture and in twisting the sacred
test TO his own philosophical purposes,
was the real cause OF all HIS trouble. Not
only Did he disregard all the warnings OF
his frienda, who entreated him 10 avoid
Scriptural arguments and coniine himssli
to his own province ~ philosopher, bat
he insisted in bringing his care bsfore the
Roman Inquistors aud forcing from them
an Interpretation OF certain Scripture
passages favorable 10 HE scientific theory.
Il WAS for this purpose and OF hi'
own accord that be went Il
Rome in 1915 urging the Holy Ofice to in
, vesiigate his case and render judgment
Y elding at leHgth to his own persistence
, the Irquisit)rs reluctantly took up hi
E cause, and, ss usual, appointed sub-com
3 nittee Of theologians to report up0u 1t
Their report was anything bat favorable
S 20 Galileo, for they pronounced his teach
. ing hereticsl. Was this report endorsed
by the Holy Onice Of the Inquisition? No
? but even if it had heen, the decision q
/ those officials would not have been con
| strued as an article Of faith. Such sup
positinn would be laughed at by any Cath
/ olic thologian. But about the same time h
8 Congregs ton Of the Index constituted toeX
! anime hooks and condemn those that wer
3 unsound. took up the matter and place.
on the list of forbidden books until cor
r reoted. several works treating of ,bis eys
ten. which they declared erroneous an'
, contrary to the teachings Of the Hol,
Scfiptures; and yet even this congregation
out of the high regard IN which Galile'
was held, avoided naming apy OF hi
works. GslileO was then required To a5
stain from teaching his system as sn estab
lishod truth, and to conhne himself !;
upholding it az a merely philosophical by
pothesis, and to give over his self-assume'
Office of theologian and Scripture interpre
ter. He promised iull compliance ant
gave that promise in writing"
Here the Bishop quoted those texts o
passages of Holy Writ, which seem TO ex
pressly teach that it is the sun and not tn
earth which moves, and argued that tn
very opposite Interpretation could no
then have been accepted, because Copper
nicanism was not then demonstrated, th'
msin arguments Of Calico being now uni
versally rejected, and because such an IN
instifiabie departure frcm the meaning
which had always been yut upon the &c
cred writings would have given rude ant
unnecessary shock to all Christian believ
ers. Cardinal Bellarmine put the whole
case in Z nutshell, when he said that II
would be ime enough TO change this in
terpreiation when science had demons,rat
ted the necessity for such change
The treatment OF Calico b. Rome,
said the Bishop, "was kindness itself wher
compared with the treatment shown 70 ih'
Protestant astronomer Kepler who. about
the ssme time and for the very same roa
sons. was condemned by the Protestant
theological faculty Of Tubiugen and sciu
slIy Obliged to GEEK shelter under a Cstho
lie government. Toough Lutheran, h'
was engaged 10 tesch al Graiz by the Jes
uifs who appreciated his talents.
For many years, Calico prosecuted hi
scientific researches, not only unmolested
but specially honored by the Roman Off
cials and BIZ the Pope Urban VIII, VIII
generously bestowed upon him ana hi
chi.dren. an annual pension in recognition
of his services to science. 1t was onl,
uuon the violation Of his solemn promis
that he wss summOned-aud this was hi
; first summons-to appear before tn
Roman Irquisition in 1852. He was no
esked. much less forced. 20 recSnt; but h
startled his Judges by persisting that tn
objectionable work did not uphold
and was not meant 10 uphold, Copper
nicanisro as an absolute truth o
science; that the arguments which seemed
70 be 80 strongly in its favor could oil b
refuted: and that, if tine were allowed
him. he would himself fnrnish the reinta
tion. Was he honest; Evidently III
iudpes did not think 80, for their Who'll
lins of interrogs.ioDs was bat an effort Z
induce him TO own that he did hold n
condemned system. This he repeatedly >
denied under oath. Was he afraid OF tn
copsfoueuces? II so, "he was not, az
recent writer ftly remarks, 'the stuff mar
tvrs are made Off He was 70. the her
capable Of getting of the "It doee move,
mt into his mouth by q witty Frenchmai
a hundred years sfter Galileo's death.
T nWhat was his sentence? First, to re
tract; bu, ne persisted that he had notn
inc to retract; 70 that part Of his senteac'
} cost no effort or sacrifice. Second to re
! cite orce week for three years, the sever
] P,nitential Palms; and, Third, to be I'M
I ...sored ~ the discretion Of the court