The Crime of Galileo
Whereas you, Galileo, son of the late Vincenzio Galilei, of Florence, aged
seventy years, were denounced in 1615, to this Holy Office, for holding as
true a false doctrine taught by many, namely, that the sun is immovable in
the center of the world, and that the earth moves, and also with a diurnal
motion; also, for having pupils whom you instructed in the same opinions;
also, for maintaining a correspondence on the same with some German
mathematicians; also for publishing certain letters on the sun-spots, in
which you developed the same doctrine as true; also, for answering the
objections which were continually produced from the Holy Scriptures, by
glozing the said Scriptures according to your own meaning; and whereas
thereupon was produced the copy of a writing, in form of a letter
professedly written by you to a person formerly your pupil, in which,
following the hypothesis of Copernicus, you include several propositions
contrary to the true sense and authority of the Holy Scriptures; therefore
(this Holy Tribunal being desirous of providing against the disorder and
mischief which were thence proceeding and increasing to the detriment of the
Holy Faith) by the desire of his Holiness and the Most Emminent Lords,
Cardinals of this supreme and universal Inquisition, the two propositions of
the stability of the sun, and the motion of the earth, were qualified by the
Theological Qualifiers as follows:
The proposition that the sun is in the center of the world and immovable
from its place is absurd, philosophically false, and formally heretical;
because it is expressly contrary to Holy Scriptures.
The proposition that the earth is not the center of the world, nor
immovable, but that it moves, and also with a diurnal action, is also
absurd, philosophically false, and, theologically considered, at least
erroneous in faith.
Therefore . . . , invoking the most holy name of our Lord Jesus Christ and
of His Most Glorious Mother Mary, We pronounce this Our final sentence: We
pronounce, judge, and declare, that you, the said Galileo . . . have
rendered yourself vehemently suspected by this Holy Office of heresy, that
is, of having believed and held the doctrine (which is false and contrary to
the Holy and Divine Scriptures) that the sun is the center of the world, and
that it does not move from east to west, and that the earth does move, and
is not the center of the world; also, that an opinion can be held and
supported as probable, after it has been declared and finally decreed
contrary to the Holy Scripture, and, consequently, that you have incurred
all the censures and penalties enjoined and promulgated in the sacred canons
and other general and particular constituents against delinquents of this
description. From which it is Our pleasure that you be absolved, provided
that with a sincere heart and unfeigned faith, in Our presence, you abjure,
curse, and detest, the said error and heresies, and every other error and
heresy contrary to the Catholic and Apostolic Church of Rome.
1630 A.D.
James these people had faith and tradition for their belief.
Just an example of scriptural error of which there are many.
It is no different today if you have to prove truth by a limited source of faith and traditional scripture. |
