A freelance photographer has been fired by the Archdiocese of Boston’s newspaper for releasing a picture of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia making a controversial gesture in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Sunday.

Peter Smith, who had freelanced for The Pilot newspaper for a decade, lost the job yesterday after the Herald ran his photo on its front page. Smith said he has no regrets about releasing it.

“I did the right thing. I did the ethical thing,” said Smith, 51, an assistant photojournalism professor at Boston University.

Smith did the ethical thing. When was the last time anyone could say that about the Catholic church?:

While news outlets from across the country sought Smith’s photo yesterday, the archdiocese said there’s no proof that Scalia uttered an obsenity in the church. Smith said Scalia said, “To my critics, I say, ‘Vaffanculo,’ ” while making the gesture. That’s Italian for (expletive) you.

The Boston Archdiocese apparently has a VERY high standard for proof. That's why the ignored the child abuse scandal for decades.

Just imagine how riled up the new cardinal would be if a liberal pulled a stunt like that in one of the Catholic churches in Boston. That would cause outrage all the way to the prada-wearing pope.