Science and the Catholic Church

     It has often been mentioned that the Church is  opposed to science because of the Galileo (1564-1642)trial.

Steven J Harris gives a good account of the contributions of the Church to Science.

The great priest scientists—Gregor Mendel(Modern genetics),Teilhard Chardin ,George Lemaitre(formulated the big bang cosmology) have given immense contribution to the development of scientific research.

Pope Benedict XIV (1740-58)lifted the sanctions against Galileo.

 The book “The Complete Works of Galileo” was given imprimatur.

The Jesuits began to pursue research in practical astronomy—observatories.

Jesuits, Benedictines and Oratorian religious orders operated many observatories.

By 1700 the the Jesuit Order controlled more than one hundred Chairs of Mathematics all over Europe.

Papal patronage of science—through the Vatican Observatory and the Pontifical Academy of sciences

Lemaitre's Big Bang cosmology—a dynamical model of an expanding universe.All of the Universe was confined to a sphere of small volume some 20-60 billion years ago was his conclusion.His was the first rigorously scientific theory of the origin and evolution of the cosmos.

Catholicism and Modern Science

Almost every Pope since Pius XI has affirmed the autonomy of science.

St.Augustine taught that scripture was not to be read as a text book  on nature but as a guidebook for salvation.

John Paul II –affirmed the  independence of   two ways  for arriving at the Truth--  "the methodologies proper to each make it possible to bring out different aspects of reality."

There were long periods of support for science except for some occasional hesitations and disputes about certain branches of science.

·“The complex and historically contingent relationship between Catholicism and science since the Council of Trent  cannot be easily reduced to a single , all-embracing thesis.”

·Galileo Controversy

·Galileo Galilee—(Richard J.Blackwell)(1564-1642)

the Historical background:

For most of his life , he lived in Florence in Pisa where he was born and educated and taught at the local University.

Science at that time was Aristotle's Natural philosophy.

Galileo developed a new and different method.Observation and conducting experiments were his methods.

In 1610, he found  that a Dutch grinder had  produced a lens(Hans Lipperhey).

 He constructed better telescopes which led him to a series of astronomical discoveries—the moon contains craters etc.

Galileo's publication of his observations brought him fame as well as controversy.

The Church exhibited great  caution with respect to any interpretation of the Bible because of the Protestant Reformation.

The Catholic Chruch in 16^th c.became very conservative and defensive.

The Council of Trent(1545-63) gave its decision  that no individual could interpret the scriptures contrary to the early fathers or the Pope and the bishops.

In 1543,Copernicus published his Revolutions of Celestial Spheres, locating the sun at the center of the Universe.But Copernicus had no evidence to justify his statement.

Galileo's observations made him approve Copernican statements.

In his Letters on sunspots, , he endorsed copernican theory.By 1623, he was defending Copernican theory.

Biblical Interpretation—How to do it?

Galileo invoked the now famous remark by Cardinal Cesare Baronius(1538-1607) that the Bible tells us how to go to heaven and not  how the heavens go.

Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) acted as the spokesman of the Church.

(p.112)—Condemnation of Copernicanism.

A decree of the Congregation of the Index,March 3,1616—condemned Copernicanism.

The pope asked Bellarmine to meet with Galileo to convey to him the decision on Copernicanism.

(p.113)—For the next 7 years ,Galileo avoided any dealings with the issue of Copernicanism.

In 1623, a friend of his ,Maffeo Barberini(1568-1644) was elected the Pope with the name of Urban Vlll.

He had a series of discussions (6) with the Pope and he was allowed to speak on Copernicanism at an hypothetical level.

 A book –dialogue concerning the two chief world systems was published in 1632.

Pope urban Vlll appointed a special commission .The commission decided that he had exceeded the hypothetical discussion in this book.

Passed a judgement suspecting him of heresy.

On June 22, he was forced to read an oath denouncing his own teachings about Copernicus.

Spent most of his remaining days in house arrest in his villa at Arcetri near Florence.

He continued his writings.Published his book, Discourse on Two new Sciences.

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