The theory of evolution and the big bang are real, and God is not “a magician with a wand”, Pope Francis declared at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
He made comments which experts claim put an end to “pseudo theories” of creationism and intelligent design, some of which were encouraged by his predecessor, Benedict XVI, as reported by the Independent.
The Pope explained that the scientific theories weren’t incompatible with the existence of a creator, rather, they “require it”.
When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so. The big bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator but, rather, requires it. Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.Pope Francis
The Catholic Church has had a reputation for being anti-science. However, Pope Francis’ comments were in line with the progressive work of Pope Pius XII, who actively welcomed the big bang theory and opened a conversation on evolution.
In 1996, John Paul II went further and suggested evolution was “more than a hypothesis” and “effectively proven fact”.
Yet more recently, Benedict XVI and his close advisors apparently endorsed “intelligent design” underpinning evolution – the idea that natural selection by itself is insufficient to explain the world’s complexity.
Giovanni Bignami, president of Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics, told the Italian news agency Adnkronos, “The pope’s statement is significant. We are the direct descendants from the big bang that created the universe. Evolution came from creation.”
Source: Independent
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)