I learned at school that Galileo was persecuted because he said the earth moved round the sun. Apparently, this is wrong . In 1632 the Jesuits condemned atomism as proposed by Epicurus, Lucretius and the ancient Greeks, as being incompatible with the second canon of the 13th session of the Council of Trent (I just had to get this in). In case you don’t know, this refers to teaching about the Eucarist.
Church teaching is that bread and wine are the body and blood of Christ. Galileo pointed out that, like everything else, bread and wine were simply re-arrangements of atoms. The characteristic tastes are produced on our senses by tiny particles. This, if it was allowed to be popularized, would have blown apart the whole idea of the Mass. Some say the basis of the teaching of the Roman church in toto.
(Explained in The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt, a superbly written book, highly recommended)
No one has ever told me, or anyone else I know, that it was the Eucharist over which Galileo was persecuted. Are they embarrassed or misinformed I wonder. Surely the movement of planet earth has something or other to do with the poor man being so unpopular ?
I understand that when Galileo succumbed to pressure and said “ok” (or words to that effect), the sun does go round the earth, as he knelt before the dignitary. He then whispered ” but the earth does go round the sun”. Said dignitary did not hear but some one did or we wouldn’t know he said it!!
It is happening again today. The evidence for evolution is overwhelming specially now that we have the science of genetics, and yet an American fundamentalist has spent millions on a display showing the dinosaurs living at the same time as humans ( and much more)
Some people feel safer if there is no change in circumstances or ideas.
I am reading “Galileo’s Daughter” at the moment, and have actually just reached the bit where Galileo is made to recant on the matter of the Earth going round the sun. Incidentally, the author carefully points out that it was the Inquisition, not the “Church” or even the Pope who insisted on this. The author must be a Jesuit! What difference does it make? It does, however, seem that Catholics were divided over the idea of the Earth moving round a fixed sun – the better educated clerics who had studied mathematics supported Galileo and three prominent cardinals refused to support the banning of Galileo’s book. Galileo was not tortured, but was allowed to leave Rome and live with the Archbishop of Siena.
Anyway, when I get a bit further into the book I will be able to give you chapter and verse about the Eucharist.