Old heresy used to make case for divine designer

I FOUND it gently amusing to read Fr Con McGillicuddy’s argument for a grand design based supposedly on a ‘commonsense’ view of the annual motion of planet earth and its supposed benefits for us lucky humans (Letters, September 17).

Even though it is almost 400 years since judgment was passed on Galileo by the Roman inquisition, I think Fr McGillicudy might find it instructive to read the critical parts of Galileo’s confession of guilt.

“I, Galileo … after having been admonished by this Holy Office entirely to abandon the false opinion that the Sun is the centre of the world and immovable, and that the Earth is not the centre of the same and that it moves, and that I must not hold, defend, nor teach in any manner whatsoever, either orally or in writing, the said false doctrine, and after it had been notified to me that the said doctrine was contrary to Holy Writ … I abjure with a sincere heart and unfeigned faith, I curse and detest the said errors and heresies, and generally all and every error and sect contrary to the Holy Catholic Church.”