The Galileo Affair, 1633–1992

The Thirty Years War and the Galileo Affair

“…118 Later, Galileo was even allowed to stay at the Tuscan embassy, rather than the offices of the Inquisition.…”

“…By this time, Galileo had been publicly denounced as a Copernican, 18 and there was speculation he would be condemned along with the doctrine he defended. Thus, when the Congregation of the Index of Prohibited Books published its decree censoring Copernicanism, 19 some feared Galileo would also be disgraced as a heretic. 20 Galileo himself was shaken, but not overly concerned.…”

“…21 Moreover, he could rely on his ties to the Medici and others to shelter him: At any rate, I am very sure that the coming here of the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Lord Cardinal [Carlo de' Medici, the Grand Duke's brother] will relieve me of the need to say even a word, such is the reputation I enjoy everywhere at this Court. 22 Galileo firmly believed that the influence of his Medici patrons and his own connections at court would stifle any "machination, calumny, and diabolical suggestion" 23 by those who would disgrace him. 24 Galileo's estimation of the situation was not fundamentally mistaken.…”

“…27 Thus, the decree did not amount to the formal condemnation recommended by the consultants. In fact, when the eleven minor corrections 28 were promulgated in 1620, it became, superficially at least, legal to own, read, and discuss the book. 29 Though there were advocates both for and against the Copernican theory, the Church was not prepared to pass definitive judgment.…”

Paracelsus and Roman censorship – Johannes Faber’s 1616 report in context

“…In a decree of February 1616, the Vatican censors judged two propositions in Copernicus's De revolutionibus orbium coelestium to be "erroneous in faith" and "formally heretical", namely that the sun is immovable at the centre of the world and that the earth moves around the sun. 77 As a consequence, Copernicus's De revolutionibus was placed on the Congregation's Index of Forbidden Books, "donec corrigatur". Galileo's name was not mentioned in the decree, but a few days after its publication, on 25 February 1616, the Pope ordered Cardinal Bellarmino to warn Galileo against openly defending censored opinions.…”