January 8 In History: The Death Of Galileo Galilei In Heresy

Overview of Galileo Galilei (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

JAKARTA - On January 8, 1642, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei died at the age of 77. Galileo is called the father of modern astronomy, the father of modern physics, and the father of science for his revolutionary discoveries. However, one of his most famous knowledge is considered to be against the beliefs of the Catholic Church. Galileo was also judged a heretic.

Galileo was the first to use a telescope to observe the sky. He managed to find Jupiter's moons, Saturn's rings, sunspots, and the rotation of the sun. Quoting History, Friday, January 8, before dying, Galileo was serving a prison sentence.

Previously he was sentenced to life in prison. However, the sentence was commuted to house arrest. Galileo then spent his final years at Villa Il Gioiello, his home in the City of Arcetri, near Florence.

Galileo was forbidden from meeting friends or publishing books. Despite this, Galileo still received visitors from all over Europe, including the philosopher, Thomas Hobbes and the poet, John Milton.

In addition he managed to smuggle manuscripts for a new work, Discourses and Mathematical Demonstrations Concerning Two New Sciences. The manuscript is about physics and mechanics. Galileo's last book was published in the Netherlands in 1638. In the same year, Galileo became completely blind.

Science defies religion

The heliocentric theory by Copernicus of the workings of the universe challenged the widely accepted belief held by the astronomer Ptolemy in the second century that placed the earth at the center of the solar system. In 1616, the Catholic Church declared Copernican theory heretical because it was considered contrary to church principles and certain Bible texts.

Copernicus' heliocentric theory described the sun as the center of the universe. It also opposes geocentrism, which places the earth in the center.

Galileo received permission from the Church to continue investigating Copernicus' theory, as long as he neither held nor defended it. Galileo denied that he "held" any belief in Copernicus' views.

Even so he continued to write about the problem and evidence as a means of "discussion" rather than belief. The church decided that the idea that the sun moves around the earth is an absolute fact of scripture that cannot be denied. Despite the fact that scientists have known for centuries that the Earth is not the center of the universe.

This time, Galileo's technical argument did not prevail. On June 22, 1633, the Church issued the following commandment:

We declare, judge, and declare, that you, Galileo have made yourself strongly suspected by the Holy Office of heresy, that is to have believed and held the doctrine (which is wrong and contrary to the Scriptures) that the sun is the center of the world, and that the sun does not move from east to west, and that the earth is indeed moving, and not the center of the world.

After being found guilty of heresy, Galileo was forced to publicly repent and was sentenced to life in prison. However, due to age considerations, the life sentence was commuted to house arrest.

"We order that by public decree the book Dialogue of Galileo Galilei be prohibited and We condemn you to this Holy Office prison as long as We will; and as a fruitful repentance, We command you that for a period of three years you must recite the Seven Confession Psalms once a week, ”said the church.

Galileo agreed to stop teaching heresies and spend the rest of his life under house arrest until he died at the age of 77. It took more than 300 years for the Church to recognize that Galileo was right and clear his name of heresy.