ABSTRACT
The persecution of Galileo has stood as a powerful symbol of the battle between science and theology—but the church has since attempted to reconcile itself to science. The church is viewed as the arch opponent of vital humanist moral concerns. The humanists were fearful of efforts by the church to legislate morality or to force its doctrine on the pluralistic society. The Catholic church was represented by its most liberal spokesmen, including Father Charles Curran, who would later lose his position at the Catholic University of America; theologian Daniel Maguire; medical ethicists Daniel J. and Mrs. Sidney Callahan; and the well-known Catholic journalist John Cogley; among others. The Roman Catholic church is politically sagacious, having survived two millennia, and it no doubt takes a long-range view of the future. The Vatican side was represented by the French Cardinal Paul Poupard, president of the Secretariat for Nonbelievers; the Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels, an influential voice in the church; and others.
