Not exactly. In the 1500s, theologians drew a VERY sharp line between writing about heliocentrism as a hypothesis (permitted) and writing about it as a fact (forbidden). It seems like a trivial difference to us, but you could get the boot for it back then.
In 1616 he was accused of crossing the line. He was interviewed by Cardinal Bellarmine who issued him an exoneration document saying that he had not crossed the line into heresy and could therefore teach heliocentrism as a hypothesis like anyone else. In 1633 a file clerk discovered the unsigned 'plan B' version of that document which would have meant that he was on probation for heresy and NOT allowed to write about heliocentrism even hypothetically. They discovered during the trial that the document was invalid and he was not guilty of what he had been accused of. It was a mess.
Funny thing, the bone of contention back then wasn't so much about the sun being at the center of tbe universe. That itself wasn't heresy. The theological red line was disagreeing with bible passages that say the Earth shall not move, without hard evidence of a moving earth. (Which didn't become available until about 70 years later.)
Not exactly. In the 1500s, theologians drew a VERY sharp line between writing about heliocentrism as a hypothesis (permitted) and writing about it as a fact (forbidden). It seems like a trivial difference to us, but you could get the boot for it back then.
In 1616 he was accused of crossing the line. He was interviewed by Cardinal Bellarmine who issued him an exoneration document saying that he had not crossed the line into heresy and could therefore teach heliocentrism as a hypothesis like anyone else. In 1633 a file clerk discovered the unsigned 'plan B' version of that document which would have meant that he was on probation for heresy and NOT allowed to write about heliocentrism even hypothetically. They discovered during the trial that the document was invalid and he was not guilty of what he had been accused of. It was a mess.
Funny thing, the bone of contention back then wasn't so much about the sun being at the center of tbe universe. That itself wasn't heresy. The theological red line was disagreeing with bible passages that say the Earth shall not move, without hard evidence of a moving earth. (Which didn't become available until about 70 years later.)
I'd recommend The Trial Of Galileo, by Doug Linder (2002), which goes into detail about exactly what was and what was not prohibited. -- http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/galileo/galile...