Answer:
He was sure he was right, and wanted the whole world to know about it. But there was a problem: the Church. The Catholic Church believed that the Earth did not move and was the centre of the universe. The Church thought of Galileo as a heretic but this did not stop him writing letters to explain his theory.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Roman Catholic Church opposed the ideas of Galileo because they contradicted the prevailing beliefs of the time and challenged the authority of the Church. Galileo's ideas went against the geocentric model of the universe, which was widely accepted by the Church.
Firstly, Galileo believed that the Earth was not the center of the universe, but rather that the Sun was at the center. This directly contradicted the Church's belief in the geocentric model, where Earth was considered to be the center of the universe.
Secondly, Galileo's belief that the orbits of planets were not perfect circles also went against the Church's teachings. The Church believed in the Aristotelian view that celestial bodies moved in perfect circles, while Galileo proposed that they moved in ellipses. This challenged the Church's authority and interpretation of scripture.
Lastly, Galileo's belief that all planets revolved around the Sun further contradicted the Church's teachings. The Church believed in a hierarchical order where everything revolved around Earth, with the Earth being at the center. Galileo's heliocentric model directly challenged this view.
Due to these conflicting views, the Church saw Galileo's ideas as heretical and a threat to their authority. Galileo was summoned by the Inquisition and eventually forced to recant his beliefs. This marked a significant clash between scientific discovery and religious orthodoxy during the Renaissance period.