Four centuries ago, on Feb. 26, 1616, the great Italian scientist Galileo received an ominous warning from powerful Roman Catholic Cardinal Robert Bellarmine: Don’t talk about, write about or otherwise express support for the notion that the Earth is not the center of the universe. Galileo had long studied the Copernican theory of heliocentrism that said the Earth not only revolves around the sun, but itself revolves daily on its own axis. Heliocentrism has long since been accepted as irrefutable scientific fact but, in Galileo's time, the Roman Catholic Church, of which the scientist was a faithful member, had declared Copernicus’ theory heretical.

​This Friday, Feb. 26, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Royce Hall, Room 314, UCLA’s Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies will present a daylong symposium, "The Roman Inquisition in the Time of Galileo," to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the events and significance of that day. The symposium was organized by Henry Ansgar Kelly, Distinguished Research Professor (emeritus) of English and former director of the UCLA center. 

Said Kelly of the cardinal's warning to Galileo, “this marked the beginning of one of the most famous and most controversial encounters between religion and science in history."

The conference will also delve into the subsequent official trial and prosecution of Galileo and will explore other activities of the Roman Inquisition in Italy.

“There are questions at every stage of the affair,” Kelly said. “Was heliocentrism declared a heresy in 1616? What was the nature of the inquisition’s message to Galileo at that time? Was he given a command that he later violated?  Did he receive fair treatment and due process? Was he convicted of heresy or disobedience? Did he really renounce the Copernican system? Was he in danger of torture and death? What was his actual punishment?”

Visiting scholars to the conference will include Christopher Black (University of Glasgow), Paula Findlen (Stanford University), Jane Wickersham (University of Oklahoma, Norman) and Maurice Finocchiaro (University of Nevada Las Vegas), among others. Discussion will center around noted historian Thomas F. Mayer’s book, “The Roman Inquisition: Trying Galileo” (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015).

A new discovery to be discussed is the actual date of Galileo’s formal trial on May 10, 1633, as well as the nature of his plea and the precise facts of his conviction and punishment.

Kelly noted that it was a great embarrassment to the Catholic Church that it opposed the Copernican explanation of the cosmos and took so long to acknowledge its error and treatment of Galileo. While Galileo’s writings on helicentrism were published with Papal approval (and critique of the theory) as early as the mid-1700s, it wasn’t until 1992, after a lengthy investigation initiated by Pope John Paul II, that the church acknowledged it had possibly persecuted Galileo unfairly.

The relationship between the Church and science has evolved in the modern era, which the symposium will touch on as well.

“Pope Francis has been praised for being open to scientific discovery," said Kelly. "But noted Galileo authority Maurice Finocchiaro will caution that the Pope also opens himself to the criticism of not learning from the Galileo affair — that the Church should be wary of interfering in scientific matters.”

As seating is limited, advance registration is requested. RSVP on the conference website. Attendance is free of charge, with funding provided by the Endowment for the UCLA Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.