Galileo Galilei and the Roman Curia: From Authentic SourcesGebler, Karl von
Religion
Galileo Galilei and the Roman Curia: From Authentic Sources
Gebler, Karl von
Astronomers -- Italy -- Biography; Catholic Church. Curia romana; Galilei, Galileo, 1564-1642; Religion and science -- History
_Galileo_: “I remember that the transaction took place as
follows: Signor Cardinal Bellarmine sent for me one morning,
and told me certain particulars which I was to bring to the
ears of his Holiness before I communicated them to others.[356]
But the end of it was that he told me that the Copernican
opinion, being contradictory to Holy Scripture, must not be
held nor defended. It has escaped my memory whether those
Dominican fathers were present before, or whether they came
afterwards; neither do I remember whether they were present
when the Signor Cardinal told me the said opinion was not to be
held. It may be that a command was issued to me that I should
not hold nor defend the opinion in question, but I do not
remember it, for it is several years ago.”
_Inquisitor_: “If what was then said and enjoined upon you as a
command were read aloud to you, would you remember it?”
_Galileo_: “I do not remember that anything else was said or
enjoined upon me, nor do I know that I should remember what
was said to me, even if it were read to me. I say freely what
I do remember, because I do not think that I have in any way
disobeyed the injunction, that is, have not by any means held
nor defended the said opinion that the earth moves and the sun
is stationary.”
The Inquisitor now tells Galileo that the command which was issued to him
before witnesses contained: “that he must neither hold, defend, nor teach
that opinion in any way whatsoever.”[357] Will he please to say whether
he remembers in what way and by whom this was intimated to him.
_Galileo_: “_I do not remember that the command was intimated
to me by anybody but by the cardinal verbally_; and I remember
that the command was, _not to hold nor defend_. It may be
that, ‘and _not to teach_’ was also there. I do not remember
it, neither the definition ‘in any way whatsoever’ (_quovis
modo_), but it may be that it was; for I thought no more about
it, nor took any pains to impress the words on my memory, as
a few months later I received the certificate now produced,
of the said Signor Cardinal Bellarmine, of 26th May, in
which the injunction given me, _not to hold nor defend_ that
opinion, is expressly to be found. The two other definitions
of the said injunction which have just been made known to me,
namely, _not to teach_, and _in any way_, I have not retained
in my memory, I suppose, because they are not mentioned in the
said certificate, on which I rely, and which I have kept as a
reminder.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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