The problem is that Roger Bacon was nearly excommunicated - there were numerous reasons why but I put it down to being one of the first Europeans to write down the formula for gunpowder and publishing it for others to read and exploit at their leisure. This was a period that the pope made the use of the crossbow a mortal sin (well at least not against heretics, Jews, and Muslims) - the only out was paying off some priests to pray for you or go off on a crusade (or burn down the local ghetto). We would need to snuff that little problem of the power of the church in its grave first. At the time, it was going to be a hard nut to crack without some butterflies.
