[lo_zamoyski]

It is indeed a historically recent lie propagated by the Church's enemies, most notably Enlightenment talking heads and Protestants. It is part of the founding myth of scientism. It needs this myth to sustain its opposition and arrogation of science onto itself, just as Protestants need their countless myths about the Church to sustain their opposition and rebellion.

Historically, however, this framing of opposition would have been incomprehensible to Catholics. Scholasticism itself provided the intellectual foundations for modern science. Historically, you won't find a sustained and fertile scientific enterprise anywhere but the Christian West. As Jaki puts it, everywhere else, it was stillborn.

This battle between Religion vs. Science is an ignorant myth repeated by the ignorant and by tendentious bigots.