FAQ About Nicolaus Copernicus
When did the Catholic Church officially accept the heliocentric model?
The Catholic Church gradually accepted the heliocentric model much later after the initial controversies. Official acceptance became more pronounced after Isaac Newton's work unified the motions of celestial bodies with the laws of physics. It wasn't until the 19th century that the heliocentric theory was officially removed from the Church's Index of Forbidden Books, signaling wider acceptance within the Church establishment.
