The Catholic Church will completely rehabilitate Galileo Galilei by erecting a monument to the famous physicist and astronomer.
By doing this, the Church presents its apologies for persecution of the Italian, and acknowledges the contribution he made to the development of the natural and exact sciences. The monument will be put up not far from the building the scientist lived in, while pending the decision of the Church court. The vindication began during the popedom of John Paul II, when the Church officially acknowledged that the Earth is not the unmovable body, but goes around the Sun.
A large-scale project devoted to the 400th anniversary of the invention of the Galileo's telescope is starting in Italy in 2008. Officially, 1609 is considered to be the date of the telescope invention. However, the exhibition "The instrument that changed the world" is open since March, 4.

 

2008.03.17