If you include Lemnaitre four of these people were clergy of some degree.
“...The original Einstein equations had an expanding universe but Einstein added the infamous cosmological constant to make it status. Einstein I believe called it his greatest blunder. “
And now, we’ve had to reinsert that factor because the universe is not only expanding, but increasing the rate of expansion.
For a great biography on Fr. Lemaitre try:
The Day Without Yesterday: Lemaitre, Einstein, and the Birth of Modern Cosmology
Catholic priest or not, the “Big Bang” is an atheist’s answer to Creation, without a Creator.
But don’t ask them what caused the Big Bang. They must fancy that to be the only effect anywhere and at any time - to not have a cause.
Lemaitre should and will be soon forgotten - after the West moves beyond today’s age of Lysenko science.
Also: Cardinal Nicolas di Cusa.
Gallileo and his theory that the universe revolved around the Sun overshadowed Nicolas’ theory that the universe was so vast that no matter where you were in the universe, it would appear to be the center of the universe. Incredibly, Nicolas was operating on pure reason.
Johann Keppler would look back at Nicolas’ theories with amazement, declaring that he must have been acting as an oracle from God Himself. But Keppler didn’t know the half of what Nicolas was guessing at.
Among Nicolas’ other theories:
-> All bodies move in roughly circular paths around other bodies.
-> There are, however, no perfect circles in the universe.
-> The farthest reaches of the Universe are closest to God, and to the perfect primordial state.
Had Galileo or Pope Urban known of Nicolas, physics would have leapt forward centuries. Instead, Galileo posited that any other belief had to be that of “Simplicus,” and the Pope bit at the bait, defending the Simplicus straw man, instead of the cosmological work of his own Church.
Anyone who pays attention to cosmology on a regular basis knows Lemaître. He may not be a household name, but, he is well knowned.