sending myself an email didn’t work s im pooping this here for tomorow
Was the Inquisition court that condemned the Italian physicist and astronomer Galileo wrong? The answer is complex rather than a simple yes or no. Galileo is a man of innovation and discovery in a time of staying put.
The key issue in Galileo’s trial was where the center of the universe is located. And whether or not Galileo was wrong under the exact words of the law, and of the church. However unclear or unspecified this may be, Galileo was obviously guilty of the charges laid against him.
Seven distinct charges were laid upon Galileo. The final and strongest charge states “He wished to convert those who agreed with the church that the earth was the centre of the universe to his own beliefs.” He was challenging the doctrine of the church and therefore challenging the legal authority of the church. At the time, the church was the legal authority of the land and anything that went against the church’s doctrine of what the Bible said, was considered heresy and punishable by excommunication, imprisonment, or death. When Galileo tried to convert others into his beliefs there was a sure way the church would find out. The matter no longer depended on his being wrong or right under the laws of science but rather the way of the church. Galileo is accused of converting those who believe the earth is the centre of the universe to his own beliefs, completely and utterly going against the standard teachings of the church. Galileo did not break the official law, however he went up against the most powerful house at the time being.
His first charge was that he had place the imprimatur of the church on the book without proper permission from the pope in Rome. An imprimatur is approval of a publication under circumstances of official censorship. To attain one one must run through certian guidelines and restrictions, Galileo had not passed the first time and he was told to change some of it if he wanted to proceed. Then, Galileo requested Riccardi to let the publication go through in Florence, explaining that the plague surrouning Tuscany and surrounding states made it almost impossible to send the “Bulky” script to Rome. Taking this explanation in another view, Galileo is explaining how he can’t e-mail his paperwork to the office because his dog is sick. The is blatant lying an avoiding is just one of the ticks Galileo seems to have up his sleeve. Soon following Galileo had the book approved.
Now at the trial, his technical argument didn’t win the day. On June 22, 1633, the Church handed down the following order: “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.” Along with the order came the following penalty: “We order that by a public edict the book of Dialogues of Galileo Galilei be prohibited, and We condemn thee to the prison of this Holy Office during Our will and pleasure; and as a salutary penance We enjoin on thee that for the space of three years thou shalt recite once a week the Seven Penitential Psalms.” Galileo agreed not to teach the heresy anymore and spent the rest of his life under house arrest. It took more than 300 years for the Church to admit that Galileo was right and to clear his name of heresy, all the meanwhile the words the pope chose to use was vague and many look upon it as a farce.
Galileo appeared guilty to the Inquisition because his confessions and admissions seemed tongue in cheek. The record of his trial shows Galileo responding to his inquisitors with great deference. He blames many of his more controversial ideas on senility and a bad memory. He claims no recollection of a special injunction which allegedly was read to him in the earlier proceedings and which forbid him to defend or teach the heliocentric system in any way whatsoever. It is unclear if Galileo forgot or if the Holy Office sought to buttress its position through forgery.
Galileo is guilty strictly and only fully guilty under the law of the catholic church, under law he is not. As previously stated this is a special case that a yes or no answer could not suffice. Under the law he is no more than a man trying to solve some of space’s mightiest riddles, and comparing Aristotle theories. Galileo is guilty under the most powerful house in Rome, and unfortunately that is worse than the physical law.
