Atheists in particular grossly exaggerate the injustice done to Galileo, but that shouldn’t obscure the fact that he did suffer an injustice.
The greatness of Galileo is acknowledged by everyone, like that of Einstein; but unlike the latter, whom we are honoring today before the College of Cardinals in the apostolic palace, the former had to suffer a great deal - we cannot conceal the fact - at the hands of men and organisms of the Church. - Pope John Paul II
cited in
GALILEO : For Copernicanism and for the Church
Vatican Observatory Publications
by Annibale Fantoli