Answer:
Science had for centuries been philosophically detached from observation - the term "to save the appearances" was widely used at the time to describe science that conveniently simplified observation but had no deeper significance. Galileo was far in advance of his contemporaries in a modern view of attempting to explain true physical reality rather than just providing a convenient structure to classify observations. The Church was in the midst of contending with the Reformation, a position that tended to push it to conservative positions. Many of the scientists of the day were Jesuit priests, so the Church represented an independent scientific force as well as its role defending religious doctrine. Of course, the Jesuit scientists approached science from the standpoint of "saving the appearances," so Galileo's effort to find true physical reality was philosophically totally incompatible with their views. Although there were many reasons for the dispute, this irreconcilable difference in how science was approached lay beneath everything. So basically the cartoon represents how the church ultimately did not back Galileo and his discoveries because it went against past philosophy.
Explanation:
