Counting on Religion to Defend Science?

Recently there was a furor over a comments made by
Cardinal Schönborn concerning the Roman Catholic
Church's position on the question of evolution.

The Cardinal claims that "evolution in the neo-Darwinian
sense is not true"  and that there is "overwhelming
evolution for design in biology".

What is somewhat surreal about this situation is the suprise of
some scientists at this statement; clearly they are not taking the
fundamental supernatural premise of the Church seriously, a mistake.

[click here for the response of
a number of Austrian scientists - published in Science]

Often scientists, myself included, find it difficult to believe that
anti-scientific beliefs are strongly held, but they are. 

The same church that burnt Giordano Bruno and silenced Galileo is, perhaps, not the most reliable (or appropriate) partner in
defending the scientific enterprise.