Vatican Officially Accepts Darwinism

[SirPhilip]

Isn't this (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5705331.ece) just adorable.

A leading official declared yesterday that Darwin's theory of evolution was compatible with Christian faith, and could even be traced to St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas. "In fact, what we mean by evolution is the world as created by God," said Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture.

[JoeTheJuggler]

The Catholic Church hasn't objected to the teaching of evolution through natural selection (I hate the term "Darwinism" because it is ambiguous) at least since Vatican II. I had a good foundation in biology with evolution as the central organizing principle in Catholic elementary and high school in the late '60s and '70s.

Also, when I was interpreting for the Deaf, I interpreted a couple of graduate level biology classes (including one called "Evolution") at a Catholic university. It was stressed there that there is no theology taught in a science class even at a Catholic university.

The Church hasn't considered evolution incompatible with its doctrine for a long time (http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/vaticanview.html).

For the record: I'm no Catholic apologist. (I'm decidedly "apostate".) Just want to set the record straight.

[cj.23]

Isn't this (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5705331.ece) just adorable.

A leading official declared yesterday that Darwin's theory of evolution was compatible with Christian faith, and could even be traced to St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas. "In fact, what we mean by evolution is the world as created by God," said Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture.


It's a nonsense. Similar stories are doing the rounds every few months, and just show ignorance of the Roman Catholic Churches teaching on the subject, which has accepted Evolution since the 1950's. Darwin's works were never on the Index were they?

cj x.

[JoeTheJuggler]

Also, my ex-wife used to teach botany at the Catholic University in Quito. I would be surprised if any biology classes at that level made it through even a one-hour lecture without some mention of "selection", "characters", "evolution" etc.

[geni]

It's a nonsense. Similar stories are doing the rounds every few months, and just show ignorance of the Roman Catholic Churches teaching on the subject, which has accepted Evolution since the 1950's. Darwin's works were never on the Index were they?

cj x.

No. In fact as far as I'm aware none of the major european relgious groups ever had an official problem with it. A few CofE bishops spoke against it but nothing official even there.

[JoeTheJuggler]

I think more than anything, this article is saying that the Vatican has put an end to the rumour that Pope Benedict might endorse I.D.

That is, this "announcement" is not a change in the Church's position (as presented on two JREF threads now). It is more a denial of the rumour of an impending change in its position.