Galileo Gives the Finger to the Catholic Church
Posted in religion on December 28th, 2009
In 1610, Galileo Galilei published his Sidereus Nuncius (Starry Messenger), describing his telescopic observations. These observations pointed out what would become major differences between the physical world and the understanding of the universe discribed in the Holy Bible. These statements renewed interest in the radical teachings of the heliocentric theory of Copernicus.
Scholars of the time reacted by attacking the theory that seemingly contradicted several passages of Scripture. Galileo’s part in the controversies over theology, astronomy, and philosophy culminated in his trial and sentencing in 1633 on a grave suspicion of heresy.
Galileo was found “vehemently suspect of heresy,” namely of having held the opinions that the Sun lies motionless at the centre of the universe, that the Earth is not at its centre and moves, and that one may hold and defend an opinion as probable after it has been declared contrary to Holy Scripture. He was required to “abjure, curse and detest” those opinions.
His offending Dialogue was banned; and in an action not announced at the trial, publication of any of his works was forbidden, including any he might write in the future.
He was ordered imprisoned; the sentence was later commuted to house arrest.
From 1634 onward he could be found at his country house at outside of Florence. In 1638, blind and suffering from a painful hernia, he was allowed to travel to Florence for medical attention. He continued to receive visitors until 1642, when he died.
His body was interred at Santa Croce Church in Florence, Italy.
95 years later, on March 12, 1737, Anton Francesco Gori removed one of the corpse’s bony fingers. The relic (of science not religion), is on display at the Florence History of Science Museum.
Today it sits in a small glass egg among lodestones and telescopes, the only human fragment in a museum devoted entirely to scientific instruments. It is hard to know how Galileo would have felt about the final resting place of his finger. The long bony finger points towards the sky, as if to let the Catholic Church know that in spite of their tyranny and obfuscation of the truth the laws of nature will always apply on Earth.
