Pope-a-lope sacks 86 y/o astronomer

I had a great picture from the Hubble Telescope picked out, but blogger wouldn't let me load it-argh.

Pope Benedict XVI has sacked his chief astronomer after a series of
public clashes over the theory of evolution.

He has removed Father George Coyne S. J. 86 from his position as director of
the Vatican Observatory after the American Jesuit priest repeatedly
contradicted the Holy See's endorsement of "intelligent design"
theory, which essentially backs the "Adam and Eve" theory of
creation.

Pope Benedict favours intelligent design, which says God directs the
process of evolution, over Charles Darwins original theory which
holds that species evolve through the random, unplanned processes
of genetic mutation and the survival of the fittest.

But Father Coyne, the director of the Vatican Observatory for 28
years, is an outspoken supporter of Darwins theory, arguing that it
is compatible with Christianity.

He has been replaced by Argentine Jesuit Father Jose Funes, 43, an
expert on disk galaxies.

Although the Vatican did not give reasons for Father Coynes
replacement, sources close to the Holy See say that Benedict would
have been unhappy with the priests public opposition to intelligent
design theory.

Father Coynes most notable intervention came after Cardinal
Christoph Schonborn of Vienna, a former student of the Pope, put
the case for intelligent design in an article in the New York Times
in July last year.