Servetus Worst Crimes

Out of the Flames follows a Spaniard named Michael Servetus who was imprisoned in 1553, Geneva Switzerland for crimes against the Catholic Church. He simply wanted to share his thoughts with the world by publishing a book on the nature of Catholicism. He escaped execution in France but was later caught in Geneva due to his darker skin revealing his identity. John Calvin, his arch rival, ordered him to be burned alive for heresy. Heresy was considered one of the worst crimes because it could affect the minds of the faithful Catholic people. Servetus was burned at the stake in Champel along with his published book, Christianismi Restitutio. His books were thought to have all been destroyed but three copies were recovered centuries later.

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He theorized how the pulmonary system of a human’s arteries worked. It was a single passage that went unnoticed by everyone and could have changed medical history forever. Instead, William Harvey received credit for his medical breakthrough of the pulmonary system many years later. Unfortunately, some of the brightest people do not credited for their work or rewarded, but even more unfortunate is the lack of Servetus’ discovery being known until many years later. Many lives could have been saved with new knowledge of the human anatomy. Time to research and understand the human body could have been hastened with Servetus’ findings. Historians and societies should not only recognize Servetus’ work but celebrate his aptitude for acquiring knowledge and wanting to help others.

Servetus’ life is important to study because he wanted to change the system and beliefs of the Catholic Church but was often ostracized and threatened with punishment. Servetus should be studied by scholars and ordinary people to understand the actions he took and sacrifices he made to change the society of Europe and its Religious