Letter from Father Lorini to Cardinal Sgondrati (excerpt)
Feb. 7, 1615
All our fathers of
this devout convent of St. Mark are of the opinion that the letter
contains
many propositions which appear to be suspicious or presumptuous, as
when it
asserts that the language of Holy Scripture does not mean what it seems
to
mean; that in discussions about natural phenomena the last and lowest
place
ought to be given to the authority of the sacred text; that its
commentators
have very often erred in their interpretation; that the Holy Scriptures
should
not be mixed up with anything except matters of religion….Ever mindful
of our
vow to be the ‘black and white’ of the Holy Office…when I saw that they
[the
‘Galileists’] expounded the Holy Scriptures according to their private
lights
and in a manner different from that of the common interpretation of the
Fathers
of the Church; that they strove to defend an opinion which appeared to
be quite
contrary to the sacred text; that they spoke in slighting terms of the
ancient
Fathers and of St. Thomas Aquinas; that they were treading underfoot
the entire
philosophy of Aristotle which has been of such service to Scholastic
theology;
and, in fine, that to show their cleverness they were airing and
scattering
broadcast in our steadfast Catholic city a thousand saucy and
irreverent
surmises; when, I say, I because aware of all this, I made up my mind
to
acquaint your Lordship with the state of affairs, that you in our holy
zeal for
the Faith may, in conjunction with your most illustrious colleagues,
provide
such remedies as will appear advisable….I, who hold that those who call
themselves Galileists are orderly men and good Christians all, but a
little
overwise and conceited in their opinions, declare that I am actuated by
nothing
in this business but zeal for the sacred cause.
Source: Arthur Koestler, Sleepwalkers
(1959).