It seems that St. Thomas Aquinas understood the basic idea of modern science:
“Reason is employed in another way, not as furnishing a sufficient proof of a principle, but as confirming an already established principle, by showing the congruity of its results, as in astrology the theory of eccentrics and epicycles is considered as established because thereby the sensible appearances of the heavenly movements can be explained; not, however, as if this reason were sufficient, since some other theory might explain them.”
Summa Theologica, I.I., Q. 32, Art. 1.
Thus St. Thomas understood that science is not about proving things, but about showing the congruence of a theory with observed phenomena, while being open to the possibility that another theory might explain them as well or better.
