Why did the Catholic Church not like Galileo's theory?

Answer 1

They didn't understand the Galileo's theory, because they thought the sun & planets revolved around the Earth.

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Catholic AnswerThe Church had no problem with Galileo's theory, as a matter of fact, it was Copernicus who had previously put forward the theory and the Pope had congratulated him and given him a commendation. The Church had a problem with Galileo because he wanted to teach his theory as fact and not as theory. The Church told him that he had to have proof first, Galileo was a stubborn man who snubbed the Pope who was a personal friend of his! For a more complete answer, detailing the various problems, please see the article below at Catholic Answers.

Answer 2

The Roman Catholic Church opposed many of Galileo's scientific discoveries. A major conflict began between the Roman Catholic Church and Galileo after he discovered that the Earth orbits around the sun. Previously, everyone had thought that Sun orbited the Earth, they believed that the Earth being the center of the Universe was proof of human's closeness to God. Galileo challenged this belief and angered the Roman Catholic Church.

Answer 3

Geocentric theories held by the church kept mankind, the deity's highest creation, at the center of the universe. Heliocentric theories as proposed by Galileo displaced mankind from that position. This thought was abhorrent to the church.

This proposed change would re-order the universe and counter the divine plan as seen by the church.

Catholic AnswerIt's just Catholic, not Roman Catholic. Roman is an epithet first commonly used in England after the protestant revolt to describe the Catholic Church. It is never used by the official Catholic Church.

Galileo was teaching the heliocentric theory of Copernicus as fact. Cardinal Bellarmine disagreed with him and said that it disagreed with Scripture. Galileo, though, was a personal friend of the Pope at that time. The Inquisition looked into the case and told him that he could teach, but only as a theory until he had some proof - which he didn't. Galileo agreed, then turned around, and ignored his solemn word to the Inquisition, figuring that he knew better, even though he still had no proof, he continued to teach Copernicus theory as fact. The Inquisition arrested him for violating his sworn word, and held him in a rather comfortable accommodation. Galileo berated everybody, including his friend, the Pope. He did not exactly endear himself to anyone, even though everyone was trying to help him! For more of the story, see the link below at the Catholic Encyclopedia, and the explanation from Catholic Answers at the links below:

Answer 4

It was because they felt there was not enough evidence to change the established view of the realities of the Earth and its place in the universe as laid down in the scriptures.

Galileo was told he could teach the Copernican system as a theory to study and predict the movements of the planets, as long as he did not say it was the absolute truth. He did not obey this instruction, which led to his trial. To understand the difference you have to realise that scientific theories always require time and evidence before they can be properly accepted as the truth.

In the dispute Galileo claimed the Copernican system was right. This put the Sun at the centre, while the Church and the scriptures adhered to the Ptolemaic system with the Earth at the centre.

Eventually a new model published by Kepler in 1609 was shown to be right. It had the Sun at the centre, but the planets' orbits were ellipses, which Galileo never accepted. Neither the Ptolemaic and Copernican theories stood the test of time and it was Kepler's model that prevailed. Newton's discoveries later in the 17th century demonstrated the correctness of the Kepler model, which is still in use today.

The history of the dispute was always oversimplified by Protestant Propaganda in the 17th century that sought to portray the Catholic church merely as opposed to progress, but the facts above show that it was a bit more complicated than that.

Answer 5

The church did not object to his teaching the heliocentric theory as a theory, what they objected to was his insistence that it was correct, before any proper evidence was available that it was true. The evidence came later, after Newton's discoveries, but that was after Galileo's time.

Answer 6

Roman Catholic AnswerThe Church never opposed the ideas of Galileo. He was brought before the Inquisition and told to stop teaching his theory that the planets revolve around the sun as fact, as he hadn't proven it yet. The Church was very supportive of astronomy had, in the previous century, the Polish astronomer, Copernicus had published the same theory and dedicated it to Paul Paul III. Galileo later went back on his promise, and got belligerent, unbelievably with the Pope - who at that time was a personal friend of his! Anyway, the document that was used to bring Galileo to trial in Rome was later proved to be a forgery, and he was exonerated by the last pope. But he made life very difficult at the time due to his personality and his disregard for his own promises.

Answer 7

The Catholic Church opposed Galileo's heliocentric theory because it contradicted the geocentric model of the universe supported by the Church at the time. Galileo's views were seen as challenging the Church's teachings and authority, leading to his trial and condemnation by the Inquisition in 1633. The Church's condemnation of Galileo was also influenced by the political and social context of the time.

Answer 8

because that would oppose the ideas of The Bible and Aristotle

Answer 9

He had a different religion than they did.