1616 Decree of the Holy Congregation for the Index against Copernicanism

DECRETUM

Sacrae Congregationis Illustrissimorum S.R.E. Cardinalium, a S.D.N. PAVLO Papa V. Sanctaque Sede Apostolica ad Indicem Librorum, eorumdemque permissionem, prohibitionem, expurgationem, & impressionem, in universa Republica Christiana specialiter deputatorum, vbique publicandum

Cum ab aliquo tempore citra, prodierint in lucem inter alios nonnulli Libri, varias haereses, atque errores continentes, Ideo Sacra Congragatio Illustrissimorum S. R. E. Cardinalium ad indicem deputatorum, ne ex eorum lectione graviora in dies damna in tota Republica Christiana oriantur, eos omnino damnandos, atque prohibendos esse voluit; Sicuti praesenti Decreto poenitus damnat, & prohibet vbicumque & quovis idiomate impressos, aut imprimendos. Mandans, ut nullus deinceps cuiuscumque gradus, & conditionis, sub poenis in Sacro Concilio Tridentino, et in Indice Librorum prohibitorum contentis, eos audeat imprimere, aut imprimi curare, vel quomodocumque apud se detinere, aut legere; Et sub ijsdem poenis quicumque nunc illos habent, vel habuerint in futurum, locorum Ordinarijs, seu Inquisitoribus, statim a praesentis Decreti notitia exhibere teneantur (...)

Et quia etiam ad notitiam praefatae Sacrae Congregationis pervenit, falsam illam doctrinam Pithagoricam, divinaeque scripturae omnino adversantem, de mobilitate Terrae, & immobilitate Solis, quam Nicolaus Copernicus de revolutionibus orbium coelestium, & Didacus Astunica in Iob etiam docent, iam divulgari & a multis recipi; sicuti videre est ex quadam epistola impressa cuiusdam Patris Carmelitae, cui titulus, Lettera del R. Padre Maestro Paolo Antonio Foscarini Carmelitano, sopra l’opinione de Pittagorici, e del Copernico, della mobilità della Terra, e stabilità del Sole, & il nuovo Pittagorico Sistema del Mondo, in Napoli per Lazzaro Scoriggio 1615, in qua dictus Pater ostendere conatur, praefatam doctrinam de immobilitate Solis in centro Mundi, & mobilitate Terrae, consonam esse veritati, & non adversari Sacrae Scripturae; Ideo ne ulterius huiusmodi opinio in perniciem Catholicae veritatis serpat, censuit dictos Nicolaum Copernicum de revolutionibus orbium, & Didacum Astunica in Iob, suspendendos esse donec corrigantur. Librum vero Patris Pauli Antonij Foscarini Carmelitae omnino prohibendum, atque damnandum; aliosque omnes Libros pariter idem docentes prohibendos, Prout praesenti Decreto omnes respective prohibet, damnat, atque suspendit. In quorum fidem praesens Decretum manu, & sigillo Illustrissimi & Reverendissimi D. Cardinalis S. Caeciliae Episcopi Albanen., signatum, & munitum fuit die 5 Martij 1616.

Paolo Sfrondati, Episc. Albanen. Card. S. Caeciliae.

Locus † sigilli.               Registr. Fol. 90 

F. Franciscus Magdalenus Capiferreus, Ordinis Prædicatorum, Secret.
ROMAE, Ex Typographia Camerae Apostolicae, M.DCXVI.

of the Holy Congregation of the Most Illustrious Lord Cardinals especially charged by His Holiness Pope Paul V and by the Holy Apostolic See with the Index of books and their licensing, prohibition, correction, and printing in all of Christendom. To be published everywher

In regard to several books containing various heresies and errors, to prevent the emergence of more serious harm throughout Christendom, the Holy Congregation of the Most Illustrious Lord Cardinals in charge of the Index has decided that they should be altogether condemned and prohibited, as indeed with the present decree it condemns and prohibits them, wherever and in whatever language they are printed or about to be printed. It orders that henceforth no one, of whatever station or condition, should dare print them, or have them printed, or read them, or have them in one’s possession in any way, under penalty specified in the Holy Council of Trent and in the Index of prohibited books; and under the same penalty, whoever is now or will be in the future in possession of them is required to surrender them to ordinaries19 or to inquisitors, immediately after learning of the present decree. (…) 

This Holy Congregation has also learned about the spreading and acceptance by many of the false Pythagorean doctrine, altogether contrary to the Holy Scripture, that the earth moves and the sun is motionless, which is also taught by Nicolaus Copernicus’ On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres and by Diego de Zúñiga’s On Job. This may be seen from a certain letter published by a certain Carmelite Fa- ther, whose title is Letter of the Reverend Father Paolo Antonio Foscarini, on the Pythagorean and Copernican Opinion of the Earth’s Motion and Sun’s Rest and on the New Pythagorean World System (Naples: Lazzaro Scoriggio, 1615), in which the said Father tries to show that the above- mentioned doctrine of the sun’s rest at the center of the world and of the earth’s motion is consonant with the truth and does not contradict Holy Scripture. Therefore, in order that this opinion may not advance any further to the prejudice of Catholic truth, the Congregation has decided that the books by Nicolaus Copernicus (On the Revolutions of Spheres) and by Diego de Zúñiga (On Job) be suspended until corrected; but that the book of the Carmelite Father Paolo Antonio Foscarini be completely prohibited and condemned; and that all other books which teach the same be likewise prohibited, according to whether with the present decree it prohibits, condemns, and suspends them respectively.

Paolo Sfrondati, Vescovo di Albano Cardinale S. Cecilia

Luogo † del sigillo.              Registr. Fol. 90.

F. Francisco Maddaleni Capodiferro OP, Segretario

ROMA, Dalla Tipografia della Camera Apostolica, MDCXVI.