Monday, August 21, 2006
Pope Replaces Intelligent Design Critic at Observatory
Vatican City, August 21 - Pope Benedict XVI has appointed a new director of the Vatican Observatory, replacing the Rev. George Coyne, a long-serving Jesuit astronomer and a vocal opponent of 'intelligent design' theory.
It was unclear if the replacement of Coyne, the observatory's director since 1978, reflected a sense of disapproval within the Vatican over his opposition to intelligent design - the idea that the world is too complex to have been created by natural events alone.
Coyne has frequently attacked the theory as a 'religious movement' lacking scientific merit. He could not be reached for comment.
..In early September, 2006, Benedict will conduct a weekend seminar on the impact Darwin's theory has on the church's teaching of Creation (see "Pope to Dissect Evolution With Former Students").
Alternative news release from Zenit ('The World seen from Rome')technorati tags: vatican, city, pope, benedict+XVI, director, observatory, jesuit, astronomer, intelligent+design, opposition, religious, darwin, church, creation, evolution, zenit, rome
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