Is Galileo flipping off the world, or just the Church that condemned him?

Today’s the 1564 birthday of Galileo Galilei (February 15, 1564 – January 8, 1642).  Happy Birthday Starry Messenger!



Galileo's middle finger on display in Florence.



No need to recite the father of modern science’s accomplishments in science, physics, math, astronomy, etc.  But check it out, because he had been condemned by the Catholic Church for his theory that the Earth revolved around the Sun—and although Galileo recanted when faced with Papal excommunication for heresy (folklore has it that Galileo muttered under his breath, “And yet it moves”), when he died, Galileo was buried in a small room within the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy.  Clearly not fitting one of the giants of western thought, in 1737 Galileo’s body was dug up and reburied within the Basilica proper to a place more fitting someone of his stature.  When Galileo’s body was exhumed, his three fingers incuding the middle finger, thumb and a tooth were removed from his body.  Here’s a picture of Galileo’s middle finger.  

Is Galileo flipping off the world—or maybe just the Church that condemned him?