Scholars protest at papal visit

January 15th, 2008 | Tags: , , , , ,

Scholars protest at papal visit

Lecturers and students at a prestigious university in Rome want a planned visit by the Pope to be cancelled as they object to his position on Galileo.

Pope Benedict XVI is to make a speech on Thursday at La Sapienza university.

Sixty-seven academics have signed a letter saying the Pope’s views on Galileo “offend and humiliate us”.

They say he condoned the 1633 trial and conviction of Galileo for heresy. The astronomer had argued that the Earth revolved around the Sun.

The academics said it would be inappropriate for the Pope to open their academic year on Thursday.

“In the name of the secular nature of science we hope this incongruous event can be cancelled,” said the letter addressed to the university’s rector, Renato Guarini.

In a separate initiative students at La Sapienza have organised four days of protest this week. The first revolved around an anti-clerical meal of bread, pork and wine, the BBC’s Christian Fraser reports from Rome.

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  1. Hugo
    January 15th, 2008 at 09:58
    Reply | Quote | #1

    I find the last paragraph the most surprising:
    “Fifteen years ago Pope John Paul II officially conceded that in fact the Earth was not stationary.”
    Wow, now that’s progressive.

  2. Miykael Poly
    January 15th, 2008 at 10:29
    Reply | Quote | #2

    get the “help we are being opressed” chart ready…

    “Vatican Radio said the protest at La Sapienza had “a censorious tone”.”

  3. Bar
    January 15th, 2008 at 18:05
    Reply | Quote | #3

    Does anyone have a opinion about this or is this just repeating the news?
    I think its very good the Pope gets rejected cause of what he stands for, it limits him in this 21st century world, and he should be very aware this is not 1700 anymore.

  4. Spoonman
    January 17th, 2008 at 10:02
    Reply | Quote | #4

    Looks like it was a successful protest!

    http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/01/16/2010239&from=rss

    Well..almost. As one commenter pointed out, now the Pope gets to play the victim and say the scientists are refusing to have a dialog.

  5. bipolar2
    January 19th, 2008 at 14:19
    Reply | Quote | #5

    Benny16 made his big mistake quoting Paul Feyerabend, notorious critic of rationality, especially in the sciences.

    You see Benny, Feyerabend would also deny any rationality whatsoever to RC dogma! Essentially, you were quoting the devil — no wonder, you’re closed out, no lie is too big for you.

    Conjuring P. K. Feyerabend? Oh popey dear, how very stupid of you. Or, maybe you’re having second thoughts about Hans Kueng?

    bipolar2
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