Has the Catholic Church apologized for burning Giordano Bruno at the stake?

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While we’re on the subject of the Church burning heretics, anybody know whatever happened to Savonarola’s sainthood cause since the 92-year-old cardinal who was pushing for it died last year?

I’m guessing he got named Servant of God at least because his writings were declared free of heresy by a commission and read in public?
 
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Hmm…

Well then, we would have to include those who adhere to the religion of man-as-god aka secular humanism…which not only say it’s okay to murder babies within their mothers’ bodies and has allowed the holocaust of this abomination to become a big bu$ine$$ within - not ancient history - but the latter part of the last millenium…

But also expects EVERY taxpayer to finance the indoctrination of their perverse beliefs to children within the NOT-for-profit education system. Which means the BUSINESS of baby killing has been getting so-called “free” advertising by taxpayers within again, NOT-for-profit institutions that are NOT supposed to promote ANY businesses.

These are the barbaric acts that EVERYONE should be concerned about…TODAY.
 
I won’t go into details…

But this reminds me of a conversation I had recently, where someone was criticizing the Catholic Church for perceived offenses, but was a-okay with most wars…

You can’t make this stuff up.
 
ChunkMonk said:
There is a despicable habit among modern men to “apologize” for the actions of others. To so so is wrong.
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To apologize for immoral or erroneous actions done by a movement that you represent is very important for ones image in the public square. The Church is here to save peoples souls. Past wrongs greatly interferes and brings harm to that process… Thus when a wrong has genuinely been done in the name of the Church, it is important for the Church to set the record straight and make amends so that people don’t end up thinking that the Church is the enemy.

I think there is a very legitimate reason for apologizing for past actions even if they are not the actions of the Church today.
 
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sainteriksrose said:
Hmm…

Well then, we would have to include those who adhere to the religion of man-as-god aka secular humanism…which not only say it’s okay to murder babies within their mothers’ bodies and has allowed the holocaust of this abomination to become a big bu$ine$$ within - not ancient history - but the latter part of the last millenium…

But also expects EVERY taxpayer to finance the indoctrination of their perverse beliefs to children within the NOT-for-profit education system. Which means the BUSINESS of baby killing has been getting so-called “free” advertising by taxpayers within again, NOT-for-profit institutions that are NOT supposed to promote ANY businesses.

These are the barbaric acts that EVERYONE should be concerned about…TODAY.
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Can we please not turn this into yet another abortion debate. You are side stepping the issue. Just because there are great evils today does not mean Catholics can ignore the wrongs done in the name of The Church. In fact we have a greater responsibility because we are suppose to know better!
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
Just imagine if there was a CAF forum back in that era with threads about “Burning: should it be banned?”
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I don’t think that the internet would have done very well in those days. I don’t think free speech was very popular. If you think about it, the internet is kinda revolutionary in that department.
 
One cannot apologize for someone else’s actions, and further to apologize on behalf of someone who is dead and gone is to deny them the opportunity to defend themselves against the allegations, and to assume wrongdoing when none may have occurred. And it also creates a victim mentality among those who have not even been harmed, but are now being apologized to as if they deserve recompense.

What harms the public image of the Church more than anything is the bowing down to secular morality and apologizing for actions that were either not an approved action by the Church or were not wrong at all. The enemy does not care for apologies, they are not assuaged nor do they seek to give forgiveness. The apologies they demand are only to weaken the Church and provide moral high-ground. The Popes represent God and the Church, they have no right to apologize on behalf of either. God and His Holy Church do not err.

The Church is the enemy of evil, amd to be seen as such is a good thing.
 
Past wrongs can effect generations of people. And the idea that people of catholic faith have never done evil in its name is a very naive point of view in my opinion. If a Catholic bombs an abortion clinic in the name of the catholic church like a suicide bomber its important for the church to stand up and say this was wrong and was not the Churches position. If Church leadership have at any time approved of something immoral for political reasons or otherwise they should certainly apologize and admit this was an error even if it was hundreds of years in the past. Its irrelevant if people actually respect that apology; whats important is that the error has been acknowledged so it doesn’t happen again.
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The Church HAS spoken out against capital punishment…

Among other things. As it should.
 
I’d like to hear some people apologize to the Church for taking advantage of its flock.
 
sainteriksrose said:
I’d like to hear some people apologize to the Church for taking advantage of its flock.
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I often got jobs because i said i was Catholic. I apologize for taking advantage of the Catholic faith to further my career!!!😝

Just kidding
 
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Except the Governor of Rome would have reported to the Pope as the monarch of the Papal States… so if Church authorities were earnest about saving his life, why didn’t they appeal to the Pope? The Holy Father’s authority was absolute even in civil matters. Remember that he ruled Rome both as bishop and as monarch during this period.
 
I’ve seen the burning of heretics justified by Catholics on this forum. While recent popes have condemned and apologized for past support of capital punishment… some of our more “traditionalist” brethren maintain that it is morally justified to execute heretics, but simply not prudent to do so in the here and now…
 
The poster you’re addressing believes that the burning of heretics is morally correct, just not prudent in the modern era. So your argument won’t hold up as you’re both starting with different premises.
 
twf said:
why didn’t they appeal to the Pope?
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The pope permitted the governor to execute the bad guy, and that probably factored into why the bad guy did not appeal to him to stop it. On a related note, not every action of the pope is an action of the Church. To say that the Church executed Bruno is wrong because it assumes that the civil actions of the pope (or, in this case, his governor) were actions of the Church.
 
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Not only would I say your assessment is accurate, but it’s also incredibly frightening.
 
IWantGod said:
Late Vatican position[edit]

Further reading has revealed this…

The Vatican has published few official statements about Bruno’s trial and execution. In 1942, Cardinal Giovanni Mercati, who discovered a number of lost documents relating to Bruno’s trial, stated that the Church was perfectly justified in condemning him. On the 400th anniversary of Bruno’s death, in 2000, Cardinal Angelo Sodano declared Bruno’s death to be a “sad episode” but, despite his regret, he defended Bruno’s prosecutors, maintaining that the Inquisitors “had the desire to serve freedom and promote the common good and did everything possible to save his life.”[49] In the same year, Pope John Paul II made a general apology for “the use of violence that some have committed in the service of truth”.[50]

So there has been an apoligy for violence used in the service of truth.

But i have another question because this is perplexing to me. Is it ever morally justifiable to kill somebody for having heretical views?
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Example

the Lateran Council in 1215, pronouncement on the “extermination” of heretics, Internet History Sourcebooks Project canon 3, (exterminate) comes from the Latin exterminare, William Whitaker's Words which means to “drive out” (ex- out of + terminous- boundary). In Latin it does nor mean to destroy or kill, but to drive out of the territory. The official language of the Church is Latin. The Church does not change on this issue of capital punishment. Even pope Francis today is speaking out against capital punishment and there being no good reason for it…

The state otoh, is the one who legally executes criminals
 
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steve-b said:
Example

the Lateran Council in 1215, pronouncement on the “extermination” of heretics, Internet History Sourcebooks Project canon 3, (exterminate) comes from the Latin exterminare, William Whitaker's Words which means to “drive out” (ex- out of + terminous- boundary). In Latin it does nor mean to destroy or kill, but to drive out of the territory. The official language of the Church is Latin. The Church does not change on this issue of capital punishment. Even pope Francis today is speaking out against capital punishment and there being no good reason for it…

The state otoh, is the one who legally executes criminals
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A few things:
  1. Exsurge Domine said it was an error to think that burning heretics was against the will of the Spirit. Or to take out the double negative, it is aligned with the will of the Holy Spirit to burn heretics.
  2. It’s hard to take the reading of exterminate as that of banishment as accurate considering the amount of times the Church handed off heretics to various states to be executed.
  3. Just because the Church would hand off those heretics doesn’t relieve it from its complicity in the death of those people. Knowing what was to be done to them and still passing them along does not assuage guilt in the slightest.
 
Regardless, the execution of heretics had popular support at the time in many places. If not religion, it would have been something else. We are very tribal…still are.
 
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