From the Holy Father's October 31st address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences:
To state that the foundation of the cosmos and its developments is the provident wisdom of the Creator is not to say that creation has only to do with the beginning of the history of the world and of life. It implies, rather, that the Creator founds these developments and supports them, underpins them and sustains them continuously. Thomas Aquinas taught that the notion of creation must transcend the horizontal origin of the unfolding of events, which is history, and consequently all our purely naturalistic ways of thinking and speaking about the evolution of the world. Thomas observed that creation is neither a movement nor a mutation. It is instead the foundational and continuing relationship that links the creature to the Creator, for he is the cause of every being and all becoming (cf. Summa Theologiae, I, q.45, a. 3).
To “evolve” literally means “to unroll a scroll”, that is, to read a book. The imagery of nature as a book has its roots in Christianity and has been held dear by many scientists. Galileo saw nature as a book whose author is God in the same way that Scripture has God as its author. It is a book whose history, whose evolution, whose “writing” and meaning, we “read” according to the different approaches of the sciences, while all the time presupposing the foundational presence of the author who has wished to reveal himself therein. This image also helps us to understand that the world, far from originating out of chaos, resembles an ordered book; it is a cosmos. Notwithstanding elements of the irrational, chaotic and the destructive in the long processes of change in the cosmos, matter as such is “legible”. It has an inbuilt “mathematics”. The human mind therefore can engage not only in a “cosmography” studying measurable phenomena but also in a “cosmology” discerning the visible inner logic of the cosmos. We may not at first be able to see the harmony both of the whole and of the relations of the individual parts, or their relationship to the whole. Yet, there always remains a broad range of intelligible events, and the process is rational in that it reveals an order of evident correspondences and undeniable finalities: in the inorganic world, between microstructure and macrostructure; in the organic and animal world, between structure and function; and in the spiritual world, between knowledge of the truth and the aspiration to freedom. Experimental and philosophical inquiry gradually discovers these orders; it perceives them working to maintain themselves in being, defending themselves against imbalances, and overcoming obstacles. And thanks to the natural sciences we have greatly increased our understanding of the uniqueness of humanity’s place in the cosmos.
The distinction between a simple living being and a spiritual being that is capax Dei, points to the existence of the intellective soul of a free transcendent subject. Thus the Magisterium of the Church has constantly affirmed that “every spiritual soul is created immediately by God – it is not ‘produced’ by the parents – and also that it is immortal” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 366). This points to the distinctiveness of anthropology, and invites exploration of it by modern thought.
To “evolve” literally means “to unroll a scroll”, that is, to read a book. The imagery of nature as a book has its roots in Christianity and has been held dear by many scientists. Galileo saw nature as a book whose author is God in the same way that Scripture has God as its author. It is a book whose history, whose evolution, whose “writing” and meaning, we “read” according to the different approaches of the sciences, while all the time presupposing the foundational presence of the author who has wished to reveal himself therein. This image also helps us to understand that the world, far from originating out of chaos, resembles an ordered book; it is a cosmos. Notwithstanding elements of the irrational, chaotic and the destructive in the long processes of change in the cosmos, matter as such is “legible”. It has an inbuilt “mathematics”. The human mind therefore can engage not only in a “cosmography” studying measurable phenomena but also in a “cosmology” discerning the visible inner logic of the cosmos. We may not at first be able to see the harmony both of the whole and of the relations of the individual parts, or their relationship to the whole. Yet, there always remains a broad range of intelligible events, and the process is rational in that it reveals an order of evident correspondences and undeniable finalities: in the inorganic world, between microstructure and macrostructure; in the organic and animal world, between structure and function; and in the spiritual world, between knowledge of the truth and the aspiration to freedom. Experimental and philosophical inquiry gradually discovers these orders; it perceives them working to maintain themselves in being, defending themselves against imbalances, and overcoming obstacles. And thanks to the natural sciences we have greatly increased our understanding of the uniqueness of humanity’s place in the cosmos.
The distinction between a simple living being and a spiritual being that is capax Dei, points to the existence of the intellective soul of a free transcendent subject. Thus the Magisterium of the Church has constantly affirmed that “every spiritual soul is created immediately by God – it is not ‘produced’ by the parents – and also that it is immortal” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 366). This points to the distinctiveness of anthropology, and invites exploration of it by modern thought.
And this from ZENIT, reporting on an address given by Chrisoph Cardinal Schönborn on the same day to the same assembly:
There is no incompatibility between the scientific theory of evolution
and the Christian understanding of creation, says the archbishop of
Vienna.
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn affirmed this Friday at the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which ends tomorrow. The academy is considering "Scientific Insight Into the Evolution of the Universe and of Life."
The prelate explained that there is no contradiction between evolution and a belief in creation, but rather a "conflict between two diverse concepts of man and his rationality, between the Christian vision and a rationalism that pretends to reduce man to the biological dimension."
Citing various addresses from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, before and after his election as Pope, the Austrian cardinal explained that "there are many proofs in favor of evolution."
Nevertheless, he stressed, "though this theory enriches our knowledge of life, it doesn't respond to the great philosophical question: Where does everything come from and how did this everything take a path until coming to be man?"
Therefore, Cardinal Schönborn contended, the key is discovering "that a preceding idea exists, that man is not the fruit of chaos, but that he 'has been thought of,' 'wanted' and 'loved'" by the Creator.
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn affirmed this Friday at the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which ends tomorrow. The academy is considering "Scientific Insight Into the Evolution of the Universe and of Life."
The prelate explained that there is no contradiction between evolution and a belief in creation, but rather a "conflict between two diverse concepts of man and his rationality, between the Christian vision and a rationalism that pretends to reduce man to the biological dimension."
Citing various addresses from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, before and after his election as Pope, the Austrian cardinal explained that "there are many proofs in favor of evolution."
Nevertheless, he stressed, "though this theory enriches our knowledge of life, it doesn't respond to the great philosophical question: Where does everything come from and how did this everything take a path until coming to be man?"
Therefore, Cardinal Schönborn contended, the key is discovering "that a preceding idea exists, that man is not the fruit of chaos, but that he 'has been thought of,' 'wanted' and 'loved'" by the Creator.
Related IgnatiusInsight.com Articles and Book Excerpts:
• Excerpts from Chance or Purpose: Creation, Evolution,
and a Rational Faith | Christoph Cardinal Schönborn
• The Mythological Conflict Between Christianity and Science | An interview
with physicist Dr. Stephen Barr | Mark Brumley
• The Universe is Meaning-full | An interview with Dr. Benjamin
Wiker, co-author of A Meaningful World | Carl E. Olson
• The Mystery of Human Origins | Mark Brumley
• Designed Beauty and Evolutionary Theory | Thomas Dubay, S.M.
Evolution is a deceit with no scientific basis...
This is a fact that is proven by fields of science such as biology, genetics, anatomy, medicine, physics, biomathematics, biogenetics, etc.
The irreducible complexity of the DNA is a very obvious reason and rationality why chance events, randomness or graduation cannot explain evolution.
Darwin claimed there was a step by step graduation and evolution. How can DNA with its 3.5 billion letters could have formed step by step in the cell nucleus. Even changing a letter of this 3.5 billion letter alphabet would destroy the entire organism, and these are called mutations as we see in mutant flies with their body parts dislocated.
The irreducible complexity in the cell is another obstacle before evolution idea. There cannot be any step by step graduation in the formation of the cell. Without the cell nucleus, the cell is dead. Without the mitochondria, ribosomes, cell wall, cytoplasm etc. the cell is dead. There cannot be a gradual formation, the cell can only originate in its full complex form so that it may survive. This is the main idea behind creation.
God has created the entire living beings including plants, animals and human beings with a great design and plan in their full form. There is no graduation and that is why the fossil records entirely show intact, full beings with no transition.
I hope this was explanatory.
Best regards.
Posted by: Steven Barlow | Wednesday, November 05, 2008 at 02:10 AM
Not really.
Posted by: Mark Brumley | Wednesday, November 05, 2008 at 06:35 AM
Steven --
Your concern that evolutionary theory can be used to attack faith is certainly valid, as it has been frequently used to do so. Your point that there is still a lot left to explain about evolution is also well taken. But the idea that evolution has no scientific basis whatsoever is unfounded. If Catholics wish to be able to discuss the interaction of faith and science intelligently, we must be competent in our understanding of science. Your arguments against evolution here are not well-informed.
The changing of a single base pair in an organism's genome will NOT destroy the entire organism. In fact, you probably have several base pairs being mutated in you right now. It happens all the time. Most likely, though, they are not in important areas of the genome. Much of DNA does not code for genes, and there is a built-in plasticity to the genome that allows it to absorb mutations without much change. Even within a protein, changing several amino acids does not necessarily affect the protein. Your assertion is simply false.
The idea that the complete complexity of living organisms cannot be explained by gradual, step-by-step evolution is plausible with our current level of knowledge. But if you wish to defend that idea, please use competent arguments. Our Faith deserves no less.
-- Michael
Deeps of Time -- Science and the Catholic Faith
Posted by: Michael | Wednesday, November 05, 2008 at 06:25 PM