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[[Image:StRobertBellarmine.jpg|right|300px|thumb| St. Robert Bellarmine]]

[[Image:StRobertBellarmine.jpg|right|300px|thumb| St. Robert Bellarmine]]

'''St. Robert Bellarmine''' (b. 1542, died 1621) was the [[Bishop]] of Capua and played a major role in [[Counter Reformation|Catholic Reformation]]. Bellarmine was an outstanding scholar and [[Jesuit]] theologian who defended the Church against anti-clericals in [[Venice]] and composed exhaustive works against the prevailing heretics of the day. <ref>[http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=101 St. Robert Bellarmine] Catholic Online</ref> He was dedicated to almsgiving, prayer, meditation, fasting, and mortification of the body. Best known for writings against the belief that royal authority comes directly from God, Saint Robert was also a personal friend of [[Galileo]]. In 1931, he was proclaimed a [[Doctor of the Church]].

'''St. Robert Bellarmine''' (born 1542, died 1621) was the [[Bishop]] of Capua and played a major role in [[Counter Reformation|Catholic Reformation]]. Bellarmine was an outstanding scholar and [[Jesuit]] theologian who defended the Church against anti-clericals in [[Venice]] and composed exhaustive works against the prevailing heretics of the day.<ref>[http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=101 St. Robert Bellarmine] Catholic Online</ref> He was dedicated to almsgiving, prayer, meditation, fasting, and mortification of the body. Best known for writings against the belief that royal authority comes directly from God, Saint Robert was also a personal friend of [[Galileo]]. In 1931, he was proclaimed a [[Doctor of the Church]].

==Early Life==

==Early life==

Born at Montepulciano, [[Italy]], he was the third of ten children to father Vincenzo Bellarmine and  mother Cinzia Cervini, a niece of [[Pope Marcellus II]]. In 1560, over his father's opposition, he joined the [[Jesuits]] (who had taught him as a child).

Born at Montepulciano, [[Italy]], he was the third of ten children to father Vincenzo Bellarmine and  mother Cinzia Cervini, a niece of [[Pope Marcellus II]]. In 1560, over his father's opposition, he joined the [[Jesuits]] (who had taught him as a child).

==Galileo==

==Galileo==

In 1615, Robert took up the case against his friend Galileo. Bellarmine laid out the Church's attitude towards scientific theories in seeming contradiction with [[The Bible|Scripture]]. The case involved Galileo's [[heliocentric theory]], originated by [[Copernicus]]. St. Robert wrote that if a scientific theory is insufficiently proved, it should be advanced only as an [[hypothesis]]; but if it is solidly demonstrated, as is the case with a heliocentric solar sytem today, care must be taken to interpret Scripture only in accordance with it. <ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02411d.htm St. Robert Francis Romulus Bellarmine] Catholic Encyclopedia</ref> When the Holy Office condemned the heliocentric theory it became St. Robert's official duty to signify the condemnation to Galileo. In his prudence, he opposed severe action in the case of Galileo.

In 1615, Robert took up the case against his friend Galileo. Bellarmine laid out the Church's attitude towards scientific theories in seeming contradiction with [[The Bible|Scripture]]. The case involved Galileo's [[heliocentric theory]], originated by [[Copernicus]]. St. Robert wrote that if a scientific theory is insufficiently proved, it should be advanced only as an [[hypothesis]]; but if it is solidly demonstrated, as is the case with a heliocentric solar sytem today, care must be taken to interpret Scripture only in accordance with it.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02411d.htm St. Robert Francis Romulus Bellarmine] Catholic Encyclopedia</ref> When the Holy Office condemned the heliocentric theory it became St. Robert's official duty to signify the condemnation to Galileo. In his prudence, he opposed severe action in the case of Galileo.

==Canonization==

==Canonization==