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| Papal visit scuppered by scholars | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Pope Benedict XVI has postponed a visit to a prestigious university in Rome where lecturers and students have protested against his views on Galileo. | Pope Benedict XVI has postponed a visit to a prestigious university in Rome where lecturers and students have protested against his views on Galileo. |
| "After the well-noted controversy of recent days... it was considered appropriate to postpone the event," a Vatican statement said. | "After the well-noted controversy of recent days... it was considered appropriate to postpone the event," a Vatican statement said. |
| The Pope had been set to make a speech at La Sapienza University on Thursday. | The Pope had been set to make a speech at La Sapienza University on Thursday. |
| Sixty-seven academics had said the Pope condoned the 1633 trial and conviction of the astronomer Galileo for heresy. | Sixty-seven academics had said the Pope condoned the 1633 trial and conviction of the astronomer Galileo for heresy. |
| Galileo had argued that the Earth revolved around the Sun. | Galileo had argued that the Earth revolved around the Sun. |
| The Vatican says the Pope will now send his speech to La Sapienza, instead of delivering it in person. | The Vatican says the Pope will now send his speech to La Sapienza, instead of delivering it in person. |
| Landmark controversy | Landmark controversy |
| Pope Benedict was in charge of Roman Catholic doctrine in 1990 when, as Cardinal Ratzinger, he commented on the 17th-Century Galileo trial. | Pope Benedict was in charge of Roman Catholic doctrine in 1990 when, as Cardinal Ratzinger, he commented on the 17th-Century Galileo trial. |
| In the speech, he quoted Austrian-born philosopher Paul Feyerabend as saying the Church's verdict against Galileo had been "rational and just". | In the speech, he quoted Austrian-born philosopher Paul Feyerabend as saying the Church's verdict against Galileo had been "rational and just". |
| class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=4074&edition=1">Send us your comments Galileo's inquisitors maintained the scriptures indicated the Earth was stationary. | |
| Galileo, a devout Catholic, was forced to renounce his findings publicly. | Galileo, a devout Catholic, was forced to renounce his findings publicly. |
| Fifteen years ago Pope John Paul II officially conceded that in fact the Earth was not stationary. | Fifteen years ago Pope John Paul II officially conceded that in fact the Earth was not stationary. |
| The academics at La Sapienza signed a letter saying the Pope's views on Galileo "offend and humiliate us". | The academics at La Sapienza signed a letter saying the Pope's views on Galileo "offend and humiliate us". |
| They said it would be inappropriate for the Pope to open their academic year on Thursday. | They 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 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 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. | In a separate initiative, students at La Sapienza 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. |
| The banner at their lunch read: "Knowledge needs neither fathers nor priests". | The banner at their lunch read: "Knowledge needs neither fathers nor priests". |
| Vatican Radio said the protest at La Sapienza had "a censorious tone". | Vatican Radio said the protest at La Sapienza had "a censorious tone". |