Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Flamel Versus His Fellow Catholics

Would Nicolas Flamel and several historical Catholic figures share the same positions if they took part in the Galileo Trial? Most Catholics during and before Galileo's time upheld the traditional belief that Earth was the center of the universe. Nicolas Flamel was also Catholic, but so were many intellectuals, aristocrats, and political leaders. However, if you've read my previous posts, I argued that Flamel would have taken a position against Galileo, and hence, the Catholics would serve as a good ally for Flamel. Here are some information of some of the Catholics:
  1. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) - He was a Catholic priest and Dominican friar who supported Aristotle's philosophical ideas. He combined methodical reason with religious studies. Faith and reason were necessary for humans to find truth.
  2. Pope Alexander VI (1431-1503) - He was pope from 1492 to 1503. His patronage of famous Renaissance artists like Raphael and Michelangelo is well documented. While he brought lots of reform to the church, he also contradicted Christian values like his vows of celibacy. 
  3. Pope Leo X (1431-1503) - His papacy lasted from 1513 to 1521. Despite spending heavily, he was a renown patron of the arts and brought educational reforms. He also granted the sale of indulgences, which Martin Luther opposed to.
  4. St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) - Founder of the Jesuits organization (Society of Jesus). He took part in the Counter-Reformation that reformed the Catholic Church after the Protestant Revolution.
  5. (Cardinal) Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) - He was a participant in the Counter-Reformation. In 1616, Bellarmine notified Galileo of the decree that denied heliocentrism, telling him to recant his beliefs, in which Galileo relented though hesitantly (he believed he was forced to abandon his ideas)
  6. Pope Urban VIII (1568-1644) - Once a friend of Galileo, he then summoned the astronomer to abandon his ideas. He was a patron of the arts.
  7. Hans Behem (the "Drummer of Niklashausen") - a shepherd and musician during the 15th century. He believed that the Blessed Virgin Mary gave him instructions to kill the priests. He was the main subject in Richard Wunderli's Peasant Fires.
Most of these name would strictly adhere to the belief that Earth was the center of the universe. Hans Behem was not well-educated and was merely an "prophet" with pre-Protestant ideologies. Some figures like Pope Urban VIII took part of the actual trial against Galileo, and they denied Galileo's idea. St. Thomas Aquinas was more educated and reasonable than the other examples, but would have sided against Galileo because he adhered to his theological beliefs.

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