NY Times Faces Backlash for False Report About Holy See Burning Catholic Stargazers

The New York Times’ Science Times generated backlash for falsely reporting that the Holy See burned Roman Catholic stargazers.

The Science Times published a story entitled, “Centuries of Stargazing Leave Jesuit Names Written in the Heavens,” with a false commentary on Twitter.

The Twitter link’s description reads, “Centuries after the Holy See muzzled and burned Roman Catholic stargazers for questioning the centrality of the Earth in the cosmos, Jesuit astronomers from the Vatican’s in-house observatory are increasingly writing their names in the heavens.”

Here’s the post below:

Centuries after the Holy See muzzled and burned Roman Catholic stargazers for questioning the centrality of the Earth in the cosmos, Jesuit astronomers from the Vatican’s in-house observatory are increasingly writing their names in the heavens. https://t.co/njkHCfJUQ5

— NYT Science (@NYTScience) March 27, 2023

Click here if you cannot see the post above.

As of this writing, the NYT Science tweet received over 200 comments, many of them negative.

Countless users slammed the outlet for reporting fake news.

Father Matthew Schneider, LC, debunked the myth in his response:

May I introduce you to Nicolas Copernicus & Georges Lemaître, the first to propose heliocentrism & the big bang. One was a canon of a Catholic church, one was a priest, both were supported by the Church.

On the other hand, the Church burned anyone like them at the stake. https://t.co/BxaHwKxXNL

— Fr Matthew P. Schneider, LC (@FrMatthewLC) March 28, 2023

Click here if you cannot see the post above.

“May I introduce you to [Nicolaus] Copernicus [and] Georges Lemaître, the first to propose heliocentrism [and] the big bang. One was a canon of a Catholic church, one was a priest, both were supported by the Church. On the other hand, the Church burned anyone like them at the stake.”

Several other Twitter users also responded to the NYT with displeasure.

Twitter user Tim O’Neill wrote, “‘ …burned Roman Catholic stargazers for questioning the centrality of the Earth in the cosmos…’ That simply didn’t happen. Ever.”

Another user wrote, “The only ‘muzzling’ was of Catholic scientists who transgressed into theological issues without providing any substantive evidence to prove their already misapplied scientific assertions. As for burning? You know that never happened [and] Catholic clergy/monks led the science fields!”

User Bryan Metcalf added, “If you’re going to tweet blatant falsehoods and harmful tropes, I’m going to keep reporting you for violating Twitter [terms of service].”

This user also said, “NYT advances anti-Catholic bigotry. The Church did no such thing. Prove me wrong. Cite the stargazers ‘burned’ by the Church or retract this calumny.”

This user wrote, “Outrageously false tweet. It’s like they [don’t] care what is truth or lie now.”

Another user added, “I guess the science label carries with it an ignorance of history.”

Historian and Theologian Ulrich L. Lehner encouraged all Catholics to report the tweet: