In November 4, 1992, Pope John Paul II surprised the world with the statement that the Church had erred in 1633 when it brought Galileo before the Inquisition and found him guilty of heresy for teaching that the Earth revolved around the sun, a view that at the time directly opposed the Church belief that the Earth was the center of the universe. In his statement, Pope John Paul went on to defend science and the scientist, saying that reason could never be in conflict with faith!
Read the Pope's statement and answer the following questions. The language is quite formal so pay close attention as you read.
1. Why was 1992 appropriate for reconsideration of the Galileo verdict? (Look at section 4 in Part II of the statement.)
2. In section 10,
the Pope makes reference to the "Galileo myth." According to him, what is
the "Galileo myth" and what role has it played in our culture?
3. What are the two lessons that we can learn from the Galileo
affair? Reread sections 11 and 12 for the answer.
4. Why does the Pope refer to Einstein when he quotes him in
section 14? What point is he making about order and natural law?
5. Were you surprised that the Church has an Academy of Sciences? Why?/Why not?