Saturday, April 14, 2007
Pope Benedict XVI writes on Evolution

I originally posted about evolution back in May 2006 with the post Catholics and the Theory of Evolution. Today there is an update to subject. The following is from USA Today:

Benedict XVI, in his first extended reflections on evolution published as pope, says that Darwin's theory cannot be finally proven and that science has unnecessarily narrowed humanity's view of creation. 

In a new book, Creation and Evolution, published Wednesday in German, the pope praised progress gained by science, but cautioned that evolution raises philosophical questions science alone cannot answer.

"The question is not to either make a decision for a creationism that fundamentally excludes science, or for an evolutionary theory that covers over its own gaps and does not want to see the questions that reach beyond the methodological possibilities of natural science," the pope said.

Photo Source: Gregorio Borgia, AP

4 comment(s):

del_button April 14, 2007 at 2:18 PM
Anonymous said...

That's brilliant!

have i already told you the picture of the Priest on the side-bar, has 2 little boys just like mine!

from the proud mom!

del_button April 19, 2007 at 10:39 AM
Cathy said...

I watched a program on The Science Channel yesterday entitled "Supermassive Black Holes."
I was mildly amused when they got to the part about "The existence of black holes cannot yet be proven, but it is known for certain that they exist."
Funny how these scientists mock religion, but believe wholeheartedly in so many things which cannot be proven.
(For the record, I believe in black holes AND evolution. And I also believe that God is responsible for both.)
;)

del_button April 27, 2007 at 3:36 AM
Anonymous said...

I'm Roman Catholic and have found solace in the open-mindedness of the church. Does Pope Benedict XVI's statement on Evolution take us a few steps back?

Here's a quote from http://www.slate.com/id/2122506/

The Vatican made no more major pronouncements until the pontificate of John Paul II. In 1996, John Paul sent a letter to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences noting that there was "a significant argument in favour of this theory [of evolution]." At the same time, the pope assigned the question of "ultimate meaning" to theology. In 2002, the church's International Theological Commission, which convened to address challenges posed by "scientific understanding and technological capability," seemed to support John Paul's statements. "[A]ccording to the Catholic understanding of divine causality," the commission wrote, "true contingency in the created order is not incompatible with a purposeful divine providence."

What is the Pope Benedict XVI trying to achieve by saying this? It seems that Cardinal Christoph Schönborn and Pope Benedict XVI are trying to propose a religious tenet for all Catholics. Please shed some light on this issue as this has been on my mind all day everyday.

del_button April 27, 2007 at 6:34 AM
Matthew said...

Well, the Church has discussed evolution prior to John Paul ll. If evolution is true, it is only true because of God. Personally, I don't believe in evolution.

This is another post of mine with information on Evolution and the Church:

http://acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2006/05/catholics-and-theory-of-evolution.html

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