The Influence of Science

Abstract

The ingenious letter under the above heading, on page 180 of NATURE of August 5, by that industrious astronomer of Stonyhurst College, Father Cortie, S.J., seems to require some brief notice because of the singular character of the statements made in it. We are asked to believe that Copernicus's “heliocentric doctrine was freely taught, even in ecclesiastical colleges, until Galileo interested himself as a champion of the system”; in spite of the admission that after this “truculent and hot-headed controversialist” had endeavoured to get the Church to realise that the doctrine was not really antagonistic to Scripture when reasonably interpreted, and after the offended Pope had brought the matter before the Holy Office, that authority determined that “the Copernican system was false and absurd philosophically.” And we are also asked to believe that the outcome was merely that Galileo had as a penance “to recite certain prayers, and was sent to a beautiful villa at Arcetri”; the implication being that there was really no punishment, and that there was no call for anxiety or distress on the part of either him or his daughter throughout the proceedings.