Vatican- Pope- No differences between faith and science- at evolution conference in which only those allowing for evolution to be true were invited

(Journey in a Broken World; c.f. Catholic News Agency 31/10/08)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Creationists not welcome- is a message that has been sent out of late by the Vatican, and a message which is highly welcome in Catholic communities which face continued fanaticism from groups, considered by Rome to be twisting scientific theory to suit their political agendas.

The Pope used his address to delegates to reaffirm the acceptance by the Church of the validity as science, of the theory of evolution, and to note that the faith has nothing against the theory, which two popes before him have also showed interest in. He also strongly apposed the idea that God could not have made the universe- Benedict XVI believes faith and reason to each be indispensable in viewing the world. Neither science has a right to usurp valid sections of its interlocking field.

The Catholic concept of time as compared aeviternity, is explored by Saint Thomas Aquinas, who notes as an idea- that all events come from the first event, and that time is the measure of before and after in movement. The Pope notes that evolution literally refers to the unraveling of a scroll- and that many scientists believed that time was almost like a book being written.

The flood in Genesis ("origins") is referred to as covering all the land- by modern Catholic thought- this is thought to refer to the country in which Noah lived, at a time when the world was comparatively uninhabited as compared to today. The period of this small local, but anthropologically universal flood has yet to be determined. While evolution is viewed very positively in Catholic doctrine, it is noted there were an Adam and an Eve- a first man and first woman, and that man's soul is always a creation of God, who is Life.

Truth cannot contradict truth is a strong ideal in Catholic dogma- and Catholics are supposed to separate theology and science into their own fields- but even so- natural science and natural theology should never contradict- as both, if pursued with reason- should never contradict.