 On 15 February 1990 , in a speech delivered at the Sapienza University of Rome , Cardinal Ratzinger ( later to become Pope Benedict XVI ) cited some current views on the Galileo affair as forming what he called " a symptomatic case that permits us to see how deep the self @-@ doubt of the modern age , of science and technology goes today " . Some of the views he cited were those of the philosopher Paul Feyerabend , whom he quoted as saying " The Church at the time of Galileo kept much more closely to reason than did Galileo himself , and she took into consideration the ethical and social consequences of Galileo 's teaching too . Her verdict against Galileo was rational and just and the revision of this verdict can be justified only on the grounds of what is politically opportune . " The Cardinal did not clearly indicate whether he agreed or disagreed with Feyerabend 's assertions . He did , however , say " It would be foolish to construct an impulsive apologetic on the basis of such views . " 
