The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-04-23
THE COMET BULL
Mover Issued by the Pope Against
Celestial Visitor.


Is fable on a par with the famous
Moon Hoax"
But now comes the Reverend ].
Stein, S. j., in a forty-page Quarto,
issued by the Vatican Astronomical
Observatory, in which he clearly shows
that the laugh is really OH the histor-
ians and astronomers who have been
blindly quoting the story, one fsom an
other, without ever once taking the
ment, in the Vatican archives, which
are now open to the world.
According to Doctor Stein, the story
seems to have started with Platina, in
1474, nearly twenty years after the
publication of the bull. He had not
been in Rome at the time. and he wrote
merely from hearsay, as follows:
"Then there appeared for some days
a red comet, which the mathematicians
said E1eant great pest, great famine and
some great calamity. Wherefore Ca
lXtus, to appease the wrath of God,
days, so that, if over men evil were
impending, the great God might turn
it altogether over the Turks, the enc
mics of the Christian NAME"
Three centuries later the story was
highly embellished by the astronomer
La Place, who wrote that the Pope or
dered public prayers Gin which anathe-
mas were leveled against the comet
and the Turk
Since then the story has been en-
broidered and embellished by a long
list of scientists, including such lights
as Arago, Babinet. Vice Admiral Smyth,
Robert Grant, G. +. Chambers, Presi-
dent White of Cornell, Professor John
w. Draper, Flammarion and the Scien-
tific American (Septenber 10, 1909,
till it reads like the story of Three
Black Crows" or the fables of Don
Quixote.
In their anxiety to make the papacy
appear ridiculous. the scientists have
drawn literally on their Imagination,
and fallen into grave errors both Of
history and astronomy. For example:
Grant credits the bull to Calixtus H.,
who died more than 300 years before
it was published %. Draper declares
that "by order of the Pope all the
church bells of Europe were srunf to
scare it away" CO. President; White
says: '"Then. too, was incorporated
into the litany the plea (sic), From
the Turk and, the comet good Lord,
deliver u.s. Chambers declares that
the comet was still visible, 90, when
the battle, Of Belgrade was won.y.Eo Con-
had disappeared several days before
the battle was fought.
The Scientific American assures us
that "Constantinople" instead of. Bel
grade) was besieged by the Turks in
1456." And, only the other day, Signor
director Of the College Ro-
mano, in an article on Halley's comet,
wrote: "On August 8 the great bat
tie took place under the walls of Bel
grade; it lasted two days and in tho
intervening night Hailcy's comet was
shining" AS observed by Rome" the
battle was fought, not on August 3. but
on July Fl and 90; and, as already
stated, the comet had disappeared sew.
eral days before even that early date.
Doctor Stein declares that, out of
l0l folio volumes, preserved in the Vat
lean archives relating to the pontiticate
Of Calixtus ILL.,, there is not single
document containing the slightest allu-
sion to the comet; and the text of the
authentic bull of June 20, 1856, fur
nished the most peremptory proof that
the ordinances prescribed by the Pope
have no connection whatever with the
appearance OF the comet. w. III.