catholic church recognizes evolution?

Question

I heard somewhere that the pope recognized evolution as valid or to be considered. Is this true?

"That is why im not catholic.They try to adjust to the things of the WORLD.God is the only way and dont worship the images.Bless you. " I guess they just evolved. LOL Every religion evolves. That is why you have so many sects of christianity. I doubt your sect is the same as 1950 years ago.

"Mind you also that catholics make pope as christ big nono.so ea you see if you still wanna be a catholic." Where did you get this, just out of curiosity. I used to be catholic and was never taught to worship the pope, only that he was wise. So just wondering where you got that, was it from a catholic, if not you shouldnt belive all the gossip you hear. You know what Jesus says about gossip.

"Unfortunately this is true. Remember though, the pope is catholic. That is not exactly the same as a Bible believing Christian. Evolution is a popular idea among the so-called educated. The Catholic church wants to be popular. Look at their history. They have waffled back and forth on many issues since they took control of the church around 450 A.D"

Few religions have remained the same since teir begining, no? Religions dont want to be popular? And dont try to be?

Desperoto just out of curiosity what religion do belong to that hasent changed out of popular demand?

"The idea of intelligent design in evolution is very consistent with Catholic thought"

"Consistent with catholic thought", so are you proposing that is what catholics are thinking? Please be clear.

gods child,
some one here said the pope said something about spiritual and material. Freakin wise if you ask me. Science and church shouldnt conflict. They are two seperate things. Every fossil is a transitional fossil. Everyone is diffrent. No?

Lightanglesomething I forgot your whole name, why do you change you statements instead of adding on to them. I dont understand. Your not standing by them, your not publicly retracting them. What do you stand for?

Answer 1

In 1996 Pope John Paul II stated that there was no conflict between true science and religion. He even stated that there were some things in evolution which were worthy of consideration.

http://www.newadvent.org/library/docs_jp02tc.htm

The Catholic Church neither embraces no denies evolution. It only states that it is worthy of serious consideration. The biggest problem the Catholic Church has with evolution is where evolution denies the operation of a creator God. God is recognized as the creator of the universe, the exact means of creation can incorporate evolution, but evolution cannot exist outside God, and neither can evolution be random. The idea of intelligent design in evolution is very consistent with Catholic thought.

Answer 2

The Church does not state conclusively that evolution is true, but affirms that it is a convincing theory and that it could be true.

In 1877 Father theologian Joseph Knabenbauer stated "that there is no objection, so far as faith is concerned, to assuming the descent of all plant and animal species from a few types" (Stimmen aus Maria Laach, XIII, p. 72).

In his encyclical Humani Generis (1950), Pope Pius XII stated that there was no opposition between evolution and the doctrine of the faith about man and his vocation.

In his speech "Truth Cannot Contradict Truth" (1996) Pope John Paul II said that "Today...new knowledge has led to the recognition of the theory of evolution as more than a hypothesis. It is indeed remarkable that this theory has been progressively accepted by researchers, following a series of discoveries in various fields of knowledge. The convergence, neither sought nor fabricated, of the results of work that was conducted independently is in itself a significant argument in favor of this theory."

Answer 3

The Catholic Church does not take the stories of creation in the Bible literally. Catholics believe the book of Genesis tells religious truth and not necessarily historical fact.

The religious truth 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.

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

There has been so many times that the Catholic Church in its early stages do not recognize anything that differs from their teachings. Lately, so us not to let many members of the congregation diminish in numbers, you can observe their changing attitude towards many activities. I still remember when the Catholic church was so enraged by Protestants adopting modern songs in their services and they were called as pagans. What was taboo to them before is now being a part of the trends they have to accept with some guidelines they say. Pagan practices in many parts of the world is even tolerated by the churches' feastivities. Evolution, like Chinese horoscopes, karma, Feng Shui, will be a common interest among the religious with a silent nod from the church.

Answer 5

The late (and in my opinion, best pope ever) Pope John Paul II said that evolution is "much more than a hypothesis". Roman Catholics are permitted to accept that man's body evolved from previous organisms, but that the soul is a special creation by God. Most Roman Catholics, however, are "Old-Earth Creationists", who accept the 4.5 billion year old earth, but do not accept evolution.

A really good book to read is "Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution" by Kenneth Miller, who is a Roman Catholic and a biology professor at Brown University.

Answer 6

Yes, John Paul II wrote: Today, almost half a century after publication of the encyclical, new knowledge has led to the recognition of the theory of evolution as more than a hypothesis. It is indeed remarkable that this theory has been progressively accepted by researchers, following a series of discoveries in various fields of knowledge. The convergence, neither sought nor fabricated, of the results of work that was conducted independently is in itself a significant argument in favor of the theory.

And Pius XII, 46 years earlier (in 1950!) wrote in an encyclical: The Teaching Authority of the Church does not forbid that, in conformity with the present state of human sciences and sacred theology, research and discussions, on the part of men experiences in both fields, take place with regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter—for the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that souls are immediately created by God.

Albeit that's really wordy, but Pope Pius XII is saying in 1950 that he doesn't really care about evolution as long as the 'ensouling' process was left to God. Now isn't that nice and progressive. Especially pre-Vatican II.

Answer 7

Regarding your comments on evolution. First, no pope has ever accepted evolution as a scientific fact. To the contrary, if you read the Magisterial statements, you will see just the opposite. The popes have condemned the notion that God didn't create everything in the world ex nihilo (from nothing). Only Pope John Paul II allowed evolution to be debated as a theory, but that is it. It is only a theory, and theories can be true or false
Please let me put you to the test. Provide the evidence for the "evolution of man." There is absolutely no evidence that man evolved from apes, which evolutionary theory holds. It is contrary to every papal statement on the creation account. Yes, species adapt to environmental conditions, but there is no evidence that one species evolves into another species. If evolution were true, there would be millions of transitional fossils out there. The fact is, there isn't one. This is a fatal scientific blow to the false theory of evolution, and the evolutionists have so much as admitted it.

Answer 8

Yes, the Catholic Church accepts evolution. Not only that, they recognize gravity. I am not joking. The bible rejects it. The bible has around 65 sections of scripture that reject 1: round Earth, 2: sun centered solar system 3: the absence of a ceiling above us.

The theory of gravity is actually contradictory to the bible, that is the reason Gallileo got in to so much trouble. He proved many sections of the bible were false.

The Church accepts that the bible is not a science book.

Answer 9

Yes, the Pope and the Catholic church have affirmed the truth of the theory of evolution.

Answer 10

It was Pope john paul II and what he said was he can agree that evolution happened if the scientists can say god made it happen
Not an exact quote