Were Copernicus and Galileo persecuted by the Church for their scientific work?

In the early 16th century, Copernicus proposed the theory that the Earth went round the sun rather than the Aristotelian view that the Earth was the centre of the Universe. Because such a view is highly counter-intuitive and would likely be laughed out of court, he was reluctant to publish. Nevertheless, his ideas were widely known around Europe.  After about 30 years, he was persuaded by two clergymen, one Lutheran and one Roman Catholic, to go public.

For this he was neither punished nor was his work suppressed. On the contrary, he was treated with respect and his ideas received with interest by the clergy in Rome. When he died in 1543 he was a member of the Church in good standing.

The Copernican heliocentric model was received with scepticism by the majority of people, both inside and outside the Church. Regardless of religious belief, it seemed self-evident to observers at the time that the Earth was fixed and the sun and stars revolved around it. There is no experience of the motion of the Earth and it would have seemed incredible to people of the time to suggest that there was. It would require strong evidence to persuade people to the contrary and such evidence was in short supply.

Galileo got into trouble with the Church not for his Copernican views per se, but because he asserted it to be fact when he had insufficient proof. In addition, his insulting and offensive behaviour towards people in power, theologians and academics alike, led to them treating his views with less charity than they otherwise would and finding ways to get back at him.

His story can be contrasted with that of Kepler who worked at about the same time and was also a Copernican but who got into no trouble whatsoever.

In 1616, Galileo was warned off teaching his system and all went quiet. However in 1632 he published a book on it which included some quotes from the Pope, Urban 8, put into the mouth of a character called “the Simpleton”. This, not surprisingly, enraged the Pope and got him in trouble including being put on trial for ignoring the 1616 warning.

He was found guilty and required to recant but, despite common belief, was never tortured or imprisoned but lived, albeit with restrictions, at his villa where he continued his scientific work.

Galileo lived and died as a devout Roman Catholic.