As I showed, Catholics are free to accept the modern understanding of heliocentrism. We are not required to interpret literally Scriptures that appear to support geocentrism. On the contrary, Pope Leo XIII, wrote in
Providentisssimus Deus To understand how just is the rule here formulated we must remember, first, that the sacred writers, or to speak more accurately, the Holy Ghost "Who spoke by them, did not intend to teach men these things (that is to say, the essential nature of the things of the visible universe), things in no way profitable unto salvation."(53) Hence they did not seek to penetrate the secrets of nature, but rather described and dealt with things in more or less figurative language, or in terms which were commonly used at the time, and which in many instances are in daily use at this day, even by the most eminent men of science. Ordinary speech primarily and properly describes what comes under the senses; and somewhat in the same way the sacred writers-as the Angelic Doctor also reminds us - `went by what sensibly appeared,"(54) or put down what God, speaking to men, signified, in the way men could understand and were accustomed to.
There is, however, an idea that has been frequently linked to heliocentrism that Catholics ought to reject and refute. We can call this "the Galileo myth." Many people portray Galileo as a brave champion of truth and reason who proved that the earth circled the sun and was persecuted for this by an ignorant and superstitious Church. This narrative and its variations are falsehoods, created as anti-Catholic propaganda. We can add Pope John Paul II's apology to Galileo to the list of JPII's problematic actions, since it served to reinforce this myth.
Many of the negative comments regarding heliocentrism that appear on this forum, while not applicable to heliocentrism in itself, can be truly said of this Galileo myth. It is a false and evil idea that deserves condemnation.