Most modern debunkers of bullshit fear little more than internet harassment, or just being ignored. Because people don’t like debunking. They like bunk. In the 17th century, however, the consequences of exposing hogwash were more dire. The pope might send assassins after you to get you to shut the fuck up.
--On This Day in History, Shit Went Down: October 5, 1607--
Paolo Sarpi was a historian and scientist, and he was tired of your shit. He was also a canon lawyer and a statesman. By “your shit,” I mean the pope’s shit. The then-new pope, Paul V, who came into power in 1605. Paul 5 said I rule this shit, and by this shit he meant all the secular governments of various states. He wanted ecclesiastical authority to reign. And Sarpi, a defender of separation of church and state who lived in the independent Republic of Venice, said nah go shove a porcupine up your popely poopchute.
The pope wanted Venice’s clergy to basically be above the laws of Venice, and the government of Venice said priests gotta obey the law too. Shit got intense when two Venetian priests were charged with a series of heinous crimes, including murder. They were found guilty and thrown in prison and the pope was fucking pissed and demanded they be released, so there was a trial about whether Venice had the authority to jail priests. Sarpi, who in addition to being a high-ranking member of the church, was the lawyer defending the Venetian position. And he kicked the Catholic Church’s ass. Then the Pope said to Venice fuck y’all you’re excommunicated and not allowed to do Catholic shit anymore. Because he was a petty little beyotch.
Sarpi said the papal interdict to not be able to practice religious rights was bullshit and everyone should ignore it, so they mostly did. Except the damn Jesuits. The pope was more pissed because he was like I excommunicated those motherfuckers and they’re still doing the Catholic shit? The fucking nerve! So the French king acted as an intermediary and the pope got his criminal priests released and the censure was lifted, but as a lasting legacy the threats of excommunication and ecclesiastical censure were shown to be without teeth, all thanks to Sarpi saying we should just ignore what the pope said.
And so Venice was thrilled with Sarpi, they considered him a fucking hero for providing “a shake to papal claims,” and rewarded him with honors and positions of power in the Venetian Republic. The pope said they fucking rewarded that guy for defying me? Call the papal assassins!
So the pope sent two assassins, but the plot was uncovered, and they were arrested in Venice before doing any harm. Not to be thwarted, the pope sent more assassins and on October 5, 1607, they stabbed Sarpi three times and left him for dead. But he did not die. He lived another sixteen years, doing heretical shit like being friendly with Galileo and advocating for freedom of the press. The would-be assassins went back to Rome and were given a pension.
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"Sarpi said the papal interdict to not be able to practice religious rights was bullshit and everyone should ignore it, so they mostly did." Like today here in the US, where conservative Catholics ignore everything the church has to say about charity for the poor, and most of the rest of them ignore (thank gods) everything the church says about abortion, birth control, divorce, and same-sex marriage.