Lumen,
Whether it be Chardin, or Galileo, or a host of others, I do have a problem with the church's approach of "silencing" people.  I can only imagine, for example, what other gifts may have come from the mind of a Galileo, a Chardin (etc.)  Silencing those voices suggests to me that the real search for truth is NOT what the church wants.  

To your point, the church is far from the only organization that uses such tactics.  Academia is another good example, as have been governments, advocacy groups, and more.  Still, it is particularly galling when the tactic is used by a group that claims the desire to seek truth, AND directed by God.

I for one, would have loved to see where Chardin's or Galileo's mind may have taken them, had he been allowed to continue their quests.