Whenever secularists claim that the Catholic Church is anti-science, they usually bring up the infamous case of the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei (1564–1642). Supposedly, the Church condemned and tortured Galileo for suggesting that the Earth and other planets go around the sun (heliocentrism). Many scientists at the time thought that the sun went around the earth (geocentrism).

It’s true that Galileo and the Church ran into conflict, but the story is more complicated than current retellings suggest.

At the time there were scientific arguments against heliocentrism.

Galileo struggled to prove heliocentrism, but pressured everyone to accept it. The Church and many scientists were more cautious.

Galileo’s challengers noted that if heliocentrism were true, we should see parallax shifts in the stars’ positions, but we don’t. (A parallax is when it looks like something you’re observing has moved when really you were the one who moved.) Galileo failed to respond to this challenge.

Further, Galileo claimed that the ocean’s waves were caused by the movement of the Earth. Scholars found this argument ridiculous.

Galileo mocked the Pope.

Pope Urban VII was actually open to Galileo’s ideas, but he urged caution since the scientist had so much riding against him. He gave Galileo permission to write a book where characters discuss the pros and cons of the geocentric and heliocentric models of the universe.

We’re used to being dogmatic. After all, the Church has laid out truths we must believe — truths we should be willing to die for.

But this doesn’t mean everything is a dogma.

In fact, there is still a wide range of opinions — even theological ones — that the Church hasn’t officially decided on.

"Don't demand uniformity where the Church allows diversity of opinion and custom."

Bishop Edward Malesic of Cleveland, Ohio, has a great saying: “Color within the lines.” He means that there are boundaries of belief and practice that Catholics shouldn’t cross. However, within those lines, there’s a lot of room for diverse opinions, devotions, and personalities.

There’s room for Dorothy Days, Flannery O’Conners, Fulton J. Sheens, and Óscar Romeros. There’s space to do or think things that haven’t been done or thought of before. For example, some of St. Thomas Aquinas’ ideas were radical in his time, but they still grew from within the boundaries of the faith.

To an outsider, it sure seems like Catholics do a lot of weird stuff. We carry out elaborate worship rituals, speak of the glory of suffering, and stand in silent awe of dead saints’ bones.

Some non-Catholic Christians see our veneration of relics as idolatry, giving the honor due to God to human remains.

But this veneration is distinct from the worship we give to God. Here’s why.

There are different types of veneration.
Normally, we associate the word “worship” exclusively with God. But until recently, people used it more broadly to encompass respect due to certain individuals, including angels, saints, and rulers. A distinction was made between latria – the worship of God – and dulia, the worship of other persons besides God.

Today, it’s easier just to use the word “veneration” rather than “worship” when admiring individuals other than God.

There are different degrees of veneration. The highest form is given to the Blessed Virgin. Next, we honor the saints and angels. On a lower plane, we venerate heroes, sports figures, and other admirable (if not necessarily holy) individuals.