GIORDANO BRUNO'S DEATH, A "SAD EPISODE" IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY

VATICAN CITY, FEB 18, 2000 (VIS) - Made public yesterday afternoon was a letter from Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, to Fr. Adolfo Russo, dean of the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy which has organized the February 17-18 meeting in Naples on the theme "Giordano Bruno: Beyond Myth and Contrasting Passions. An Historical-Theological Recognition." The letter was read at the afternoon session of the symposium.

The cardinal writes that "the Jubilee Year is for the Church a privileged occasion to revive and celebrate her faith in Christ. ... This does not, however, dispense her from recalling the many incoherences which have marked the behavior of her children, thus throwing shadows on the proclamation of the Gospel. It is for this reason that, among the signs of the Jubilee, the Supreme Pontiff has placed that of the purification of memory, asking of everyone an act of courage and humility in recognizing their own failings and those of all who bear or have borne the name of Christian."

"His Holiness," adds Cardinal Sodano, "has thus learned with great pleasure that, precisely with these sentiments, this theological faculty intends to recall Giordano Bruno who, on February 17, 1600, was executed in Rome at Campo dei Fiori, following a verdict of heresy pronounced by the Tribunal of the Roman Inquisition. This sad episode of modern Christian history has sometimes been taken up by several cultural currents as a point of departure for and emblem of a bitter criticism with regard to the Church." He said that we are invited "to re-read also this event with a spirit open to full historical truth."

The secretary of state then recalled that the philosopher Giordano Bruno was born and raised near Naples and it was there that he took his vows as a Dominican.

"In reality," says his letter, "even on the basis of up-to-date research done by scholars of diverse ideas, it seems an acquired (fact) that the path of his thought, undertaken in a context of a rather animated existence and on the background of an unfortunately divided Christianity, led him to intellectual choices which progressively revealed themselves, on several decisive points, to be incompatible with Christian doctrine. It will be up to a further and deeper study to evaluate the effective scope of his divarication of the faith."

Cardinal Sodano then observes that "the fact remains that the members of the Tribunal of the Inquisition tried him with methods of coercion which were common at the time" and which led to "an atrocious death. It is not up to us to express judgements on the conscience of those who were involved in this affair," though it seems they were "animated by the desire to serve the truth and the common good, doing everything possible to save his life."

He concludes: "Objectively, however, several aspects of that procedure and, in particular, the violent outcome by the hands of civil authorities, can only constitute today for the Church - in this as in other similar cases - a motive of profound regret."

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