Angels and Demons #05 – Copernicus and Galileo
Follow Fr. Roderick on a journey through the city of Rome in a quest to uncover the Secrets of Angels and Demons. In this episode, we talk about the real powers of the Camerlengo and about Copernicus and Galileo.
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Hi Fr. Roderick,
Thanks for the thorough analysis of the historical context of the controversy behind the condemnation of Galileo. I totally enjoyed it. I just want to share with you and all the listeners some historical tidbit:
1. Since its inception, the post of Pontifical Camerlengo has always been held by a cardinal or an archbishop, and not just a priest, as Dan Brown depicts in Angels and Demons. The current Pontifical Camerlengo (also known as Chamberlain) is Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who is also the Secretary of State of the Holy See.
2. When Pope Pius XI founded the current Pontifical Academy of Sciences in 1936, he also harkened back to the heritage of the Academy of Lynxes (Accademia dei Lincei), of which Galileo is a proud member!