Fr. George Rutler: Copernicus greater than Leonardo da Vinci and...

... Galileo, both of whom, of course, are more famous—at least in popular culture—than the Polish genius. From a recent column:

Copernicus, son of a Polish father and German mother, was a priest and the temporary administrator of the diocese of Frauenburg. As a Renaissance man, he put Leonardo da Vinci in the shade, although painting seems to be the one art that did not claim him as a master. After studies in the universities of Krakow (where Pope John Paul II studied and taught), Bologna, Padua and Ferrara, he became a prominent jurist and mathematician and also practiced medicine for six years, donating his service to the poor. The polymath pioneered reform of the monetary system as it was developing in his day and did it so well that he was made an economic advisor to the government of Prussia. In what little spare time he had, he translated into Latin for posterity the Greek letters of Theophylactus.

He studied astronomy well enough to lecture in Rome on the planets, and shortly before his death he completed his heliocentric cosmology. This "Copernican Revolution" which overturned the Ptolemaic picture of Earth as the center of the universe, except for Manhattan of course, launched modern astronomy and greatly influenced Galileo who was born 21 years after the death of Copernicus. He was too careful a theologian to muddle astronomy with astrology as did Galileo, nor did he insist unscientifically that his theory was absolute fact, a mistake which got Galileo into trouble.

Nor was Copernicus persecuted and murdered by the Church for "revealing scientific truths," which is what Dan Brown wrote in Angels & Demons...

• Trust This Church? | Fr. Walter Brandmüller | From the Introduction to Light and Shadows: Church History amid Faith, Fact and Legend
• The Inquisitions of History: The Mythology and the Reality | Reverend Brian Van Hove, S.J.

Comments

[Charles E Flynn]

Those of you who enjoy reading about controversial historical "myths" might enjoy:

Galileo Goes to Jail and Other Myths about Science and Religion

http://www.amazon.com/Galileo-Other-Myths-Science-Religion/dp/0674033272

[Ed Peters]

Glad to see this note on Copernicus. Vastly under-rated, if you ask me.

[Todd]

Well ... among astronomers Copernicus has always been regarded as a mind on a par with Galileo. The latter gets attention this year because of the anniversary of his use (not invention) of the telescope for skywatching. Galileo is something of a dramatic figure for his persecution by the Church--that gets people of all sorts curious.

As for Copernicus outstripping Leonardo, well, that may be a bit of hyperbole. Both great men, though.