Todo Concostrina | “Vaya por dios, la Iglesia condena el libro de Copérnico”

SER Podcast | March 5, 2024
Host: Nieves Concostrina
Theme:
A witty, irreverent exploration of the 1616 Catholic Church condemnation of Copernicus’ heliocentric theory, dissecting the intersection of faith, power, and the consequences for early scientists.

Main Theme of the Episode

This episode centers around the historical moment when the Catholic Church condemned the revolutionary work of Nicolaus Copernicus, “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres,” for claiming the Earth orbits the Sun. Nieves Concostrina delivers her peculiar, humorous, and deeply critical take on the Church’s fight to enforce geocentric dogma, the persecution of dissenting thinkers, and the persistent tension between faith and reason.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction of the Episode’s Focus (00:33)

• Transition from literary recommendations to a “prohibited book”: Unlike Monday’s segment about diverse literary genres, today is about “un libro prohibido. Y no de un libro cualquiera” (C).
• Framing the episode with irony regarding the Church’s involvement with “prohibited” ideas:
  “Esto también va hoy de curas. Sí, sí, sí. Pero es que yo no sé qué hacerle. Es que no hay día en la historia del mundo que no la hayan liado.” (B, 01:07)

The 1616 Condemnation (01:38)

• Historical context:

  • On March 5, 1616, the Catholic Church condemned Copernicus’s book asserting the heliocentric model.
  • The affront to biblical literalism:
    “Decir eso era blasfemia. Eso ofensa de Sakato. Eso era un ultraje.” (B, 01:38)
  • Copernicus himself died 73 years before the condemnation—didn’t suffer consequences, but his ideas still threatened the Church’s authority.
  • “...cuando la multinacional condenó la obra, el bueno de Nicolás ni se enteró porque llevaba criando malvas desde hacía 73 años...” (B, 02:19)

• Three “good news” in the episode’s misadventures:

  1. Copernicus was already dead.
  2. Copernicus was eventually proven right.
  3. It was living proof that the Bible is not a scientific source.

The Biblical Argument & Its Absurdity (03:42)

• The story of Josué stopping the sun and the moon (Book of Joshua, Old Testament cited with verses 10:12-13):

  • The biblical text claims God stopped the sun and moon so the Israelites could win a battle, reinforcing a geocentric worldview.
  • “La Biblia está escrita por tropecientos guionistas que es que no soltaban el cubata.” (B, 03:52)

• The Church’s logic explained and ridiculed:

  • “Lo que deducen las lumbreras de los curas es que si Josué pudo parar el sol y la Luna es porque la que estaba quieta era la Tierra...” (B, 05:00)
  • The real concern: contradiction of doctrine, not scientific truth.

Repercussions for Contrarians: Not Just Copernicus (06:09)

• Examples of persecution:
  • Roger Bacon: Imprisoned for claiming Earth is round.
  • Giordano Bruno: Burned at the stake for heliocentrism and ridiculing the story of Joshua.
  • Galileo Galilei: Died under house arrest for supporting heliocentrism.
• Motivations:
  “...como cuyo único interés era defender su negocio y mantener la mentira, asesinaran a los prójimos cada vez que les llevaba la contraria…” (B, 07:03)
• Copernicus’s mathematical proofs were sound and thorough.

Copernicus’s Work and Publication (08:52)

• Copernicus’s hesitancy to publish and the role of Joaquim Reticus in encouraging him.
• Innovations in Copernicus’s model:
  • Earth’s three motions: revolves around the Sun, rotates on its axis, and has slight axial inclination.
• The famous preface to Pope Paul III:
  • “Las matemáticas se escriben para los matemáticos.” (B, 09:56)
  • Quote from Copernicus’s prologue sharply dismissing critics who rely on scripture instead of mathematics (09:52).

Aftermath and Ongoing Controversy (10:27)

• The book was quickly condemned for “heretical teaching.”
• The Church’s scientific lag:
  • “Es cierto que Los curas tardaron 73 años en enterarse…” (B, 10:43)
• The urban legend that NASA confirmed the biblical miracle of the sun stopping:
  • Christian media have repeatedly circulated this, despite NASA’s public denials.
  • “La NASA está frita con esto. Lo que ha hecho la NASA varias veces en los últimos años es salir a desmentir el bulo…” (B, 11:22)
• Illustrative Facebook comment:
  • “¿Quién es la NASA al lado de la palabra de Dios? Si... el sol se detuvo es porque así fue.” (B, 12:18)

The Vatican’s Response Over Time (12:48)

• Church claims problematic verses are now "metaphor."
• “Les recuerdas que han asesinado a mucha gente con la excusa de las metáforas.” (B, 13:05)
• Pope John Paul II’s problematic stance in the 20th century:
  • Defended Galileo’s condemnation as in-keeping with the times.
  • Blamed the Enlightenment and rationalism for "damaging the culture."
  • “La fe y la razón son compatibles, dijo. Sí, vamos a ver, vamos a ver Juanpa querido, que supongo andarás ardiendo en el infierno.” (B, 14:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the absurdity of scriptural literalism:
  “La Biblia está escrita por tropecientos guionistas que es que no soltaban el cubata.” (B, 03:52)

• Pinpointing the Church’s motivation:
  “Lo que no podían consentir es que se contradijera lo que decía la Biblia, porque eso tiraba abajo al negocio, eso se cargaba el dogma.” (B, 05:09)

• On Copernicus's disregard for his religious critics:
  “Si por casualidad hay charlatanes... presumiendo de un juicio sobre ellas por algún pasaje de las Escrituras malignamente distorsionado... no hago en absoluto caso de ellos. Las matemáticas se escriben para los matemáticos.” (Copérnico citado por B, 09:52)

• Highlighting persistent misinformation:
  “La NASA está frita con esto... Han inventado una redacción. Se inventan que la NASA ha hecho una investigación en la que demuestra que... el Sol estuvo detenido durante un día entero.” (B, 11:22)

• On faith versus reason:
  “La fe y la razón son compatibles, dijo. Sí, vamos a ver Juanpa querido… ¿Por qué asesinasteis los cristianos a tanta gente que tenía razón?” (B, 14:30)

Key Segment Timestamps

• Introduction & framing book as prohibited (00:33-01:38)
• Historical context: Copernicus & the 1616 condemnation (01:38-02:57)
• Biblical justification for geocentrism (03:42-05:51)
• Historical persecution of dissenters (06:09-08:03)
• Copernicus’s publications & ideas (08:52-10:21)
• Condemnation aftermath & NASA myth (10:27-12:48)
• Modern Vatican postures & critique of John Paul II (12:48-14:47)

Episode Tone and Style

• Distinctly critical, satirical, and irreverent, Nieves Concostrina blends rigorous historical references with biting humor and colloquial language. She repeatedly mocks the literal and business-minded defense of Church doctrine and highlights the ongoing dangers of refusing to separate myth from science.

Closing

This episode showcases how the Church’s condemnation of Copernicus symbolized a broader, centuries-long conflict between faith-backed authority and rational inquiry—a conflict that still resonates in contemporary debates about truth, myth, and power. Concostrina’s signature tone ensures history never feels dry, while her thorough research and passion make it extremely accessible, engaging, and memorable.