What is the Catholic Church's official position on evolution?

Answer 1

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.

One of the religious truths is that God created everything and declared all was good.

Catholics can believe in the theory of evolution. Or not. The Church does not require belief in evolution.

On August 12, 1950 Pope Pius XII said in his encyclical Humani generis:

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 experienced 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.

Here is the complete encyclical: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_12081950_humani-generis_en.html

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 2

They pretty much acknowledge that it's a valid possibility, guided by the "hand of god", of course. Most of the vehement objections tend to come from fundamentalists and baptists and such.

I haven't heard anything from Benedict about it. I think he wants to dodge the issue as much as possible, because he's taking a hard line on traditional values, and it's difficult to make a reasonable opinion about evolution fit in with the rest of his various commandments.

Check out this rather telling quote about Intelligent Design by the Vatican's recently retired chief astronomer (who knew they had a chief astronomer??):

“Intelligent design isn't science even though it pretends to be. If you want to teach it in schools, intelligent design should be taught when religion or cultural history is taught, not science.”

—Fr. George Coyne, Vatican's chief astronomer between 1978 and 2006

EDIT: I know the question wasn't really about I.D., I just liked the quote and thought it gave a good general reference point for where the core Catholic Church is at, these days. While I'm not a catholic, and am in no danger of becoming one, I think people should acknowlege that they're a lot more progressive then folks here give them credit for and that most of the "trouble" is coming from very different quarters.

Answer 3

From what I even have found out, the Catholic church recognizes evolution yet you will desire to have faith that for the duration of a few unspecified time contained sooner or later God intervened and gave human beings a spirit. besides the indisputable fact that, i do no longer understand if a Catholic church would be forced to coach evolution at a private college. i'd hassle greater approximately what they practice at public colleges.

Answer 4

The Church teached that science and religion are NOT mutually exclusive.

There is no reason why Creationism and Evolution cannot both be true.

Creation teaches that the Universe came about in a logical progreeion of events.

So does evolution.

Why do people have such a problem with it?

Answer 5

Catholics are very reasonable people and they know what what is essential to faith and what isn't. So yes, officially evolution is acknowledged.

Unlike other church's whose faith is so weak that the mere introduction of fossils threaten them. There is a severe misunderstanding of what faith means when that happens.

Answer 6

They are more open minded than others religions. Evolution is well discussed in Catholics forums.
But according to the people before me your answer is in wikipedia. The people use wikipedia like an oracle, they don't have opinions.

Answer 7

Tool of god to make humans.

"In his encyclical Humani Generis (1950), my predecessor Pius XII has already affirmed that there is no conflict between evolution and the doctrine of the faith regarding man and his vocation, provided that we do not lose sight of certain fixed points....Today, more than a half-century after the appearance of that encyclical, some new findings lead us toward the recognition of evolution as more than an hypothesis. In fact it is remarkable that this theory has had progressively greater influence on the spirit of researchers, following a series of discoveries in different scholarly disciplines. The convergence in the results of these independent studies -- which was neither planned nor sought -- constitutes in itself a significant argument in favor of the theory." (John Paul II, Message to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Evolution)

Answer 8

Surprisingly, the Catholic Church is progressive on this issue.

Answer 9

Evolution of the Soul not the body. Don't you think if they keep changing things means they don't really know what the original teachings are. Google gospelofthenazirenes.co The original teachings of Christ before king Constantine changed so many things. It was easy to do back then because women didn't read and only the hierarchy of the church and upper government officials had copies. This one book was hidden by the original Christian Essenes. Has historical documentation of its authenticity. This is the real thing. Its Not any divinci code.

Answer 10

The current Pope was very clear in his book that God created all things, that the Genesis account is literal, and evolution had nothing to do with the formation of man. To God be all the glory.