What is the Catholic view regarding the Flood narrative?

Question

Do Roman Catholics believe that a literal worldwide flood was once on the earth, or do Roman Catholics believe the flood was a local flood (in that Genesis is allegorical)?

Answer 1

The Catholic Church does not take the early stories of Genesis in the Bible literally. Catholics believe they tell religious truth not necessarily historical fact.

The religious truth of the stories of Creation is that God created everything and declared all was good.

The Church supports science in the discovery of God's creation. At this time, the theory of evolution is the most logical scientific explanation. However tomorrow someone may come up with a better idea.

As long as we believe that God started the whole thing, both the Bible and modern science can live in harmony.

The flood in Noah's story may have been allegorical, local or regional or worldwide. The Church does not declare any possibility as "Gospel."

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

It does not accept it as a literal event but rather as an allegory. Scientifically, it is impossible to be true. The Discovery Channel ran a show on what would have to happen for the story to be true in the literal sense. There could be no life on Earth right now if it were literally true.

Actually, some parts of the bible that many take as literally true appear never to have been intended to be. For example, the book of Daniel does not appear in the prophets in the Jewish bible. It is considered a wise writing or a fable in the Jewish canon, like Job that teaches something about God. It is a work of fiction that is true. It is not true because it happened, it is true because it teaches a truth. It doesn't hurt that Daniel was written after the events it prophesies either.

Answer 3

The general thought is that there was an actual flood.

Some have gone hunting for the ark.

Answer 4

just about the same way as all other Christian denominations do.