Copernicus, Galileo, and the Catholic Sponsorship of Science

The main text here is a speech given by Jane Meyerhofer, in Seattle, three years ago. In addition, there is a letter from Galileo to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany about the interpretation of scripture; our present Pope calls it "a model or hermeneutics." That is, Pope John Paul II called this letter from Galileo a model for the right understanding of scripture and science. It is fascinating. In this booklet, you will learn what happened to Galileo -- and what did not -- and why. At the same time, you will understand whose dastardly fictions and frauds lie behind this confused story, one of history's murkiest mysteries; you will understand why it is so difficult to get the facts straight. You will learn something about Easter and the moon, something about Copernicus and about St. Robert Bellarmine, a little about medieval devotion to Our Lady, and a little about Cassini. Perhaps you will come to love Galileo, as I have. Above all, you will get a clear presentation concerning the relationship between faith, scripture, the Church, and natural science. There are some sections of teacher support as well, Q and A and a time line. The softbound (perfect bound) booklet is 60 pages, in 8 1/2 x 11 format, including text, drawings, a wonderful reproduction of Van Eyck's Annunciation, teacher support and an outline/table of contents. It is very carefully researched.