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"It
being the case that thou, Galileo, son of the late Vincenzio Galilei,
a Florentine, now aged 70, wast denounced in this Holy Office in 1615:
"That thou
heldest as true the false doctrine taught by many, that the Sun
was the centre of the universe and immoveable, and that the Earth
moved, and had also a diurnal motion: That on this same matter thou
didst hold a correspondence with certain German mathematicians....
"That the
Sun is the centre of the universe and doth not move from his place
is a proposition absurd and false in philosophy, and formerly heretical;
being expressly contrary to Holy Writ: That the Earth is not the
centre of the universe nor immoveable, but that it moves, even with
a diurnal motion, is likewise a proposition absurd and false in
philosophy, and considered in theology ad minus erroneous in faith.....
"Invoking
then the Most Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and of His most
glorious Mother Mary, ever Virgin, for this Our definite sentence,
the which sitting pro tribunali, by the counsel and opinion of the
Reverent Masters of theology and doctors of both laws, Our Counsellors,
we present in these writings, in the cause and causes currently
before Us, between the magnificent Carlo Sinceri, doctor of both
laws, procurator fiscal of this Holy Office on the one part, and
thou Galileo Galilei, guilty, here present, confessed and judged,
on the other part:
"We say, pronounce,
sentence, and declare, that thou, the said Galileo, by the things
deduced during this trial, and by thee confessed as above, hast
rendered thyself vehemently suspected of heresy by this Holy Office,
that is, of having believed and held a doctrine which is false,
and contrary to the Holy Scriptures, to wit: that the Sun is the
centre of the universe, and that it does not move from east to west,
and that the Earth moves and is not the centre of the universe:
and that an opinion may be held and defended as probable after having
been declared and defined as contrary to Holy Scripture; and in
consequence thou hast incurred all the censures and penalties of
the Sacred Canons, and other Decrees both general and particular,
against such offenders imposed and promulgated. From the which We
are content that thou shouldst be absolved, if, first of all, with
a sincere heart and unfeigned faith, thou dost before Us abjure,
curse, and detest the above-mentioned errors and heresies and any
other error and heresy contrary to the Catholic and Apostolic Roman
Church, after the manner that We shall require of thee.
"And to the
end that this thy grave error and transgression remain not entirely
unpunished, and that thou mayst be more cautious in the future,
and an example to others to abstain from and avoid similar offences,
"We order
that by a public edict the book of DIALOGUES OF GALILEO GALILEI
be prohibited, and We condemn thee to the prison of this Holy Office
during Our will and pleasure; and as a salutary penance We enjoin
on thee that for the space of three years thou shalt recite once
a week the Seven Penitential Psalms, reserving to Ourselves the
faculty of moderating, changing, or taking from, all other or part
of the above-mentioned pains and penalties.
"And thus
We say, pronounce, declare, order, condemn, and reserve in this
and in any other better way and form which by right We can and ought.
Ita pronunciamus
nos Cardinalis infrascripti.
F. Cardinalis
de Asculo.
G. Cardinalis Bentivolius
D. Cardinalis de Cremona.
A. Cardinalis S. Honuphri.
B. Cardinalis Gypsius.
F. Cardinalis Verospius.
M. Cardinalis Ginettus.
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