Galileo was found “vehemently suspect of heresy”, namely of having held the opinions that the Sun lies motionless at the centre of the universe, that the Earth is not at its centre and moves, and that one may hold and defend an opinion as probable after it has been declared contrary to Holy Scripture. He was required to “abjure, curse and detest” those opinions.[67]
He was sentenced to formal imprisonment at the pleasure of the Inquisition.[68] On the following day this was commuted to house arrest, which he remained under for the rest of his life.
His offending Dialogue was banned; and in an action not announced at the trial, publication of any of his works was forbidden, including any he might write in the future.[69]
Suggested reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei#Controversy_over_comets_and_The_Assayer
An excerpt from Wikipedia vs Arthur Koestler? I’ll take Koestler, who tells the whole story.
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The myth of Catholic opposition to science, in this case as well as in the contrived “flat earth” calumny, is a latter-day protestant/atheist fabication.