Rick, I've read through the PDF twice. My apologies if I've simply overlooked the answer to my question but did you provide an explanation to the following "is the modern Catholic conscience therefore still bound to accept geocentrism? I will answer here- perhaps to the surprise of some- in the negative." Regards
Here is where I tried to convey the basis for this conclusion:
"We have addressed the highly anomalous nature of this case, in terms of the subsequent abandonment in practice of reiteration of this teaching, and this allows us to conclude that Catholics today enjoy great latitude in considering these matters, especially since the scientific aspects of the case are radically changing even here and now, in ways that are literally astounding to those who might have imagined that the Churchʼs teaching in the Galileo case had been scientifically falsified."
I hope this is clear enough, please write back if not!
And here:
It is up to the modern defenders of geocentrism to acknowledge that the highly anomalous nature of this affair- including the rapidly accumulating scientific evidences showing a geocentric orientation in the cosmos on its largest scales- constitute excellent grounds upon which to extend the greatest presumption of latitude in examining this question, since the Church might well be called to clarify it as modern cosmological observations continue to provide absolutely stunning evidence of a geocentric cosmos. Perhaps the claim of modernity to have dispensed with geocentrism as a teaching of the Faith- of Sacred Scripture itself- will instead prove to have been an instructive case of science advancing supposed “proofs” (which later are retracted) against a doctrine of the Faith, which stands vindicated as received and taught by the ordinary magisterium. In any case, Mr. Palm will be unable to provide two things, though he try ever so much:
Thank you, this is helpful. I confess that I'm troubled by the sentence indicating Geocentrism to be "doctrine of the Faith." Not because I personally have any difficulty accepting the idea but precisely because the proper Church authority has chosen not to enforce this if indeed it is to be considered a doctrine.
It is important to remember that a doctrine does not cease to be a doctrine merely because any particular individual might conclude- even on quite plausible grounds- that "proper Church authority has chosen not to enforce this".
In fact the Church *has* enforced this, officially, and as a unanimous consensus of the Fathers.
This enforcement has never been subsequently reversed.
The anomalous nature of the affair is the subject of the article, in that it appears this may be the very first time that a doctrine of the Church was abandoned (but not reversed) in the face of a (false) claim that science had disproven it.
Because this is such an anomalous case, it is important to extend the widest possible latitude to Christian conscience in this regard, and this appears to be exactly what is occurring.
In the meantime, the scientific evidence in favor of a geocentric orientation of the universe on its largest scales continues to increase.
Rick,
ReplyDeleteI've read through the PDF twice. My apologies if I've simply overlooked the answer to my question but did you provide an explanation to the following "is the modern Catholic conscience therefore still bound to accept geocentrism?
I will answer here- perhaps to the surprise of some- in the negative."
Regards
Here is where I tried to convey the basis for this conclusion:
ReplyDelete"We have addressed the highly anomalous nature of this case, in terms of the subsequent abandonment in practice of reiteration of this teaching, and this allows us to conclude that Catholics today enjoy great latitude in considering these matters, especially since the scientific aspects of the case are radically changing even here and now, in ways that are literally astounding to those who might have imagined that the Churchʼs teaching in the Galileo case had been scientifically falsified."
I hope this is clear enough, please write back if not!
And here:
It is up to the modern defenders of geocentrism to acknowledge that the highly
anomalous nature of this affair- including the rapidly accumulating scientific evidences
showing a geocentric orientation in the cosmos on its largest scales- constitute excellent
grounds upon which to extend the greatest presumption of latitude in examining this
question, since the Church might well be called to clarify it as modern cosmological
observations continue to provide absolutely stunning evidence of a geocentric cosmos.
Perhaps the claim of modernity to have dispensed with geocentrism as a teaching of the
Faith- of Sacred Scripture itself- will instead prove to have been an instructive case of
science advancing supposed “proofs” (which later are retracted) against a doctrine of
the Faith, which stands vindicated as received and taught by the ordinary magisterium.
In any case, Mr. Palm will be unable to provide two things, though he try ever so much:
Thank you, this is helpful. I confess that I'm troubled by the sentence indicating Geocentrism to be "doctrine of the Faith." Not because I personally have any difficulty accepting the idea but precisely because the proper Church authority has chosen not to enforce this if indeed it is to be considered a doctrine.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to remember that a doctrine does not cease to be a doctrine merely because any particular individual might conclude- even on quite plausible grounds- that "proper Church authority has chosen not to enforce this".
ReplyDeleteIn fact the Church *has* enforced this, officially, and as a unanimous consensus of the Fathers.
This enforcement has never been subsequently reversed.
The anomalous nature of the affair is the subject of the article, in that it appears this may be the very first time that a doctrine of the Church was abandoned (but not reversed) in the face of a (false) claim that science had disproven it.
Because this is such an anomalous case, it is important to extend the widest possible latitude to Christian conscience in this regard, and this appears to be exactly what is occurring.
In the meantime, the scientific evidence in favor of a geocentric orientation of the universe on its largest scales continues to increase.