Galileo Galilei
 

   On the subject of Faith and science it is almost inevitable that the name "Galileo" is brought up,   most often by fallen away, or
non-Catholics. But even Catholics are now starting to fall for the historical revision that has been increasing on this subject in recent years. Those who are anti-Catholic not only distort this historical incident (thus revealing their ignorance of the Church), but they apparently feel safe in going back several hundred years to do so - far removed from the situation and any chance of the characters involved coming to their own defense. Books are being slowly revised with an ignorant, anti-Catholic slant. Catholics are unfortunately not vigilant enough to see it.

   Galileo Galilei was born 1564 and died in 1642. He was an Italian Catholic practicing physics, mathematics and astronomy. During this time, and before, most of the scientists and schools of learning were Catholic, and even many priests were professors in fields of science, one of the greatest being the Dominican, St. Albert the Great who had as a pupil St.
Thomas Aquinas. It was through the efforts and organization of Catholics that all higher education was perfected, made available, and grew in the so-called "Dark Ages"- a terrible misnomer by those who know better. Yet, you will constantly hear those humanists and other anti-Catholics boldly proclaim the lie that the Church is the "enemy of science"! This terrible
ignorance, however, is gaining ground.    The scenario of the Galileo case must be recognized first - the terribly
destructive Protestant "Deformation" began about 50 years before Galileo was born and was still raging like a plague across Europe. Around the time he was born, St. Teresa of Avila wrote in reference to this spread of heresy that so many souls were "visibly lost". One of the prime causes or characteristics of a Heresiarch, such as Luther, was that of PRIDE and willful DISOBEDIENCE to the authority of the Church. Such pride was a telltale sign that something was amiss. It was Pride that caused the Fall of Lucifer to the lowest depths and misery of hell, there to conspire and plan to make men rebel in like manner against God and His Church. Another sign was that of novelty.

   Speaking of Church authority: it is the Church's mission and obligation to protect her children from error and even the "danger" of error. The Church's practice of discipline, and disciplinary laws, participates in that infallibility with which Christ promised to protect His Church. All those under Her jurisdiction by Baptism are obliged under pain of sin to submit to all lawful authority in the Church. It is the Church's right and obligation to command whenever it seems prudent for the good of souls. This includes the disciplinary action of IMPRIMATURS which may even ban TRUTH from being printed if it is discerned that it is inopportune or improperly worded as to occasion (not cause) error to be spawned through the weaknesses or even ill-will of men. The Church may ban such things until She deems it has been properly worded or become opportune. The Church may
keep it from the public for purposes of "testing the spirits" and/or looking into the matter more carefully to make sure there is no danger. No one would put down a mother for having such solicitude for her child. The Church acts the same way towards Her children by divine right. The humanists and anti-Catholics have falsely accused the Church of tyranny, censorship and being against "freedom". Loyal Catholics, on the other hand, submit to this watchful solicitude with joy and thanksgiving.

The Theory of Galileo?

   The theory of a heliocentric universe was proposed by the Polish Catholic Nicholas Copernicus before Galileo was even born! Copernicus died 21 years before the birth of the Galileo. Copernicus, when a student at Rome, according to the fashion of the times, defended his thesis there with the approval of ecclesiastical authorities. When he published his book he was even given permission to dedicate it to Pope Paul III. There was no objection to Copernicus' theory on the part of the Church authorities, nor to his book. Copernicus later became a clergyman and was highly respected.    At a time when heresy was ravaging souls, Galileo was born and grew up. He promoted the same theory as Copernicus but in a suspicious manner. He
went further and openly and boldly insisted that this was the only way of looking at the heavens AND that it represented a "contradiction" of the Scriptures. It was then ordered that Copernicus' book be amended to state that it was a theory to describe movements of the heavenly bodies and not at all as a contradiction of Scripture - the Church thus did not deny the
truth of the theory, but merely denied that the theory, as stated, was a contradiction of Scripture. The revisionists of today will have you think otherwise in order to lessen the respect for Church authority. They will have you believe the Church denied the possibility of the truth of that theory, which is not true.

     And, Galileo at this time, was corrected by the Church authorities to cease what he was doing, as he was a member of the Church and under Her jurisdiction. In fact, Galileo was good friends with the Pope and clergy. After he was corrected, he disobeyed and continued to boldly make such scandal. The Church then used disciplinary measures to punish Galileo. He
was not tortured, nor put into a cold, dreary Castle as portrayed by the mass media. Rather, he was confined to the castle of a cardinal. One of the more well-to-do domiciles in Europe!  Galileo's prideful actions against Church authority on the matter of Holy Scripture called for this disciplinary measure of which the Church can never be sorry or ashamed for, but thankful for. It was a testing of the spirits, and Galileo proved to be a faithful son of the Church realizing that there was no contradiction in
scripture. He may well have been a proud heretic in the making, but he turned out to be a loyal Catholic in submission to the disciplinary measures given to the Church by Christ.
   The anti-Catholics, rationalists, leftists, humanists in the mass media today falsely portray Galileo as a "martyr" for the cause of science, and do so in a very dishonest and revisionist way. This is certainly bad enough, but they have to reach 400 years into the past to even find something conducive enough to help in their evil plans to overthrow the Christian social order.

   Speaking of the press of the world we leave you with an excerpt from the 1937 encyclical of Pope Pius XI which touches upon the mass media in relation to the world-wide spread of communist ideals.

"A third powerful factor in the diffusion of communism is the conspiracy of silence on the part of a large section of the non-Catholic press of the world. We say conspiracy, because it is impossible otherwise to explain how a press usually so eager to exploit even the little daily incidents of life has been able to remain silent for so long about the horrors perpetrated in
Russia, in Mexico and even in a great part of Spain; and that it should have relatively so little to say concerning a world organization as vast as Russian communism. This silence is due in part to shortsighted political policy, and is favored by various occult forces which for a long time have been working for the overthrow of the Christian social order."
 

This article provided by The Catholic Dispatch News Networkﾠ