Roberto Cardinal Bellarmino, theological advisor to Pope Paul V who had served as inquisitor in the heresy trial of Giordano Bruno took pains to point out that The Council of Trent prohibited interpretation of Scripture contrary to the common agreement of the Holy Fathers – all of whom, along with many modern commentators, understood the Bible to state clearly that the Sun traveled around the Earth and not vice versa. "The words ‘the Sun also riseth and the Sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose, etc,’ were those of Solomon," Cardinal Bellarmino wrote.

Who not only spoke by divine inspiration but was a man wise above all others and most learned inhuman sciences and in the knowledge of all created things, and his wisdom was from God. Thus it is not likely that he would affirm something which was contrary to a truth either already demonstrated, or likely to be demonstrated. And if you tell me that Solomon spoke only according to the appearances, and that it seems to us that the Sun goes around when actually it is the Earth which moves, as it seems to one on a ship that the shore moves away from the ship, I shall answer that though it may appear to a voyager as if the shore were receding from the vessel on which he stands rather than the vessel from the shore, yet he knows this to be an illusion and is able to correct it because he sees clearly that is the ship and not the shore that is in movement. But as to the Sun and the Earth, a wise man has no need to correct his judgment, for his experience tells him plainly that the Earth is standing still and that his eyes are not deceived when they report that the Sun, Moon, and stars are in motion.