On July 30, 2014, the then future president of Catholic Answers gave a lecture on the Galileo affair, which was hosted by the Institute of Catholic Culture. The title of the lecture was, “Galileo on Trial: Why the Church was Right,” but you would never guess that title from listening to what Mr. Check actually says in the lecture.
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I was saddened, but not surprised by this article. I have known Mr. Check since 1997 and have since then followed his work from a distance.
Mr Check has been a noted speaker at various Catholic conferences and much of his work has even been marketed by the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). That is interesting in the following regard. On April 8, 2011 I spoke with Father Gerard Beck, SSPX. At the time he was the official overseer of the SSPX schools in the United States. He stated to me very clearly that geocentrism was not being taught in said schools and that heliocentrism was. Furthermore, he stated that those SSPX schools were not free to act independently in deciding whether to teach geocentrism or not. They had to teach heliocentrism only.
Mr. Check has railed against Freemasonry, but as far I know he has been silent on the evils of Zionism. He has railed against Muslims, but as far as I know he has been silent on the evils of Talmudic/Rabbinic Judaism. In following this line he has found himself a comfortable niche within certain conservative Catholic circles, circles I might add that still promote or are silent on the abominable official fabrication/narrative of the U.S. Government concerning who actually planned and executed 9-11, a narrative that does not allow for any connection to Israel.
Mr. Check prides himself on being a former Marine Corps commissioned officer (artillery). The Marine Corps’ motto adopted in 1883 is “Semper Fidelis,” (often shortened to “Semper FI”) meaning always faithful. It stands for the dedication and loyalty that Marines have for “Corps and Country.” That is all fine and dandy, but for a Catholic who happens to be a Marine any dedication and loyalty to “Corps and Country,” must be subservient to a proper dedication and loyalty to Holy Mother Church. The SSPX may advocate heliocentrism and the Marine Corps may be gung-ho on unjust wars, but a Catholic, be he a Marine or otherwise, should have no part of either.
I also am a former Marine Corps commissioned officer (infantry/Vietnam) who tries to remain true to my Catholic faith. That faith has traditionally and boldly asserted with absolute certitude that, “Error has no rights.” Galileo had no right to promote heliocentrism because heliocentrism was (and is) an error. The Church clearly knew it was an error. Furthermore — and let’s be very clear on this — the Church has never officially and authoritatively retracted its doctrinal teaching on geocentrism as being in accord with Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium. No obfuscation tactics by Mr. Check or anyone else can change this.
I would hope that Mr. Check will abandon his error of trying to square the circle in his handling of the Galileo Affair. Galileo was wrong — period; and the Church’s condemnation of Galileo was right — period, and not just for the time period in which Galileo lived, but forever!
James B. Phillips, J.D.