What were Copernicus's religious views?

Legend has it that Nicolaus Copernicus and the church were at odds over his development of the heliocentric theory, a principle that disputed the widely held belief that Earth was the center of the universe. read more

The short answer is that we don't really know, because we've no accounts by Copernicus or any of his contemporaries about his religious opinions. Copernicus was born and raised in Catholic Poland, and educated there and in Catholic Italy. read more

Contrary to popular belief, the Church accepted Copernicus' heliocentric theory before a wave of Protestant opposition led the Church to ban Copernican views in the 17th century. Throughout his lifetime, Copernicus was active in the religious community. read more