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CHAPTER VI.

THE INQUISITION AND THE COPERNICAN SYSTEM,
AND THE ASSUMED PROHIBITION TO GALILEO.

Adverse Opinion of the Inquisition on Galileo's Propositions.—Admonition by Bellarmine, and assumed Absolute Prohibition to treat of the Copernican Doctrines.—Discrepancy between Notes of 25th and 26th February.—Marini's documents.—Epinois's Work on Galileo.—Wohlwill first doubts the Absolute Prohibition.—Doubts confirmed by Gherardi's Documents.—Decree of 5th March, 1616, on the Copernican system.—Attitude of the Church.—Was the Absolute Prohibition ever issued to Galileo?—Testimony of Bellarmine in his favour.—Conclusions.

 

The Inquisition, perhaps still incensed by Galileo's active propagandism, even among the learned world of Rome, and by his brilliant defence of the new system, now hastened to bring to a conclusion the transactions which had been going on for a considerable time against it. A decree of 19th February, 1616, summoned the Qualifiers of the Holy Office (they were not judges exactly, but had to give their opinion as experts) and required them to give their opinion on the two following propositions in Galileo's work on the solar spots:—

I. The sun is the centre of the world, and immovable from its place.

II. The earth is not the centre of the world, and is not immovable, but moves, and also with a diurnal motion.^[1]

In accordance with the papal decree, these theologians met four days afterwards, at 9 am. on 23rd February, and published the result of their deliberations the next day, as follows:—

1.  Che il sole sij centre del mondo, et per consequenza imobile di moto locale, Che la Terra non è centro del mondo, ne imobile, ma si move secondo se tutta etia di moto diurno. (Vat. MS. fol. 376 ro.)