Why did the Catholic Church start opposing Copernicus's beliefs?

Copernicus's theories ran counter to the Catholic Church's teachings regarding the nature of the universe, which the Church had elevated to the status of equal, if not superior, authority over scripture.

Aristotle's scientific theories served as the foundation for the systematic theology written by St. Thomas Aquanus, whose writings are now part of the Catholic Church's approved theology. Aristotle's scientific theories have also been incorporated into Catholic tradition, which is held to be errorless.

Part of Aristotle's scientific theory held that the earth was the center of the universe, while Copernicus taught that the sun was the center of the solar system, a view that was obviously at odds with both Aristotle's and the Catholic Church's dogmas.

Adhering to Aristotle's scientific theories, the Catholic Church was unable to accept Copernicus's scientific discoveries and theories because doing so would have contradicted the Church's infallibility claims regarding its traditions and teachings.

The Catholic Church opposed Copernicus's heliocentric theory because it contradicted the geocentric model of the universe endorsed by the Church, which was based on the teachings of Aristotle and Ptolemy. Additionally, the Church believed that the heliocentric theory threatened the religious understanding of humanity's place in the cosmos, as it challenged the notion that Earth was the center of God's creation.