An interesting point...

[The Pope] Urban VIII acted precisely as scientists wish for current Popes to act on the issue of evolution. They want the church to side with the scientific majority that stands on Darwinian evolution against a small minority of scientists who favor a design model of origins. Siding with the scientific majority was precisely what the Church did in the seventeenth century. So why do people believe that this incident demonstrates that science and religion are natural enemies?

(Uncommon Descent on the rhetoric of science, science!)

The rhetorical tactic of invoking the myth of inevitable progress through time that progressives tend to believe in and combining it with Galileo as an example shows up often. That's an interesting answer to use for it. It is an accurate answer, as well. Now some of the Catholic Church is soft on "evolution" and tends to want to side with the scientific majority, perhaps they need another Catholic like Galileo to engage in some scientific rhetoric for the minority. The Mommy Nature types and the Mother of God types tend to fit together psychologically, so it would probably have to be some good rhetoric making some discriminations and separations to pry some little fellows on out of the womb.

[Related posts: Narratives and Galileo Galilei]