Several years ago, Pope John Paul II put the teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church firmly behind the view that the human body may not have been the immediate creation of God, but is the product of a gradual process of evolution. The pope said that “fresh knowledge leads to recognition of the theory of evolution as more than just a hypothesis.” The pope’s message recalled how Pope Pius XII proclaimed in 1950 that evolutionary doctrine was a “serious hypothesis.”
In the past, the pope has also acknowledged advancements in science. He has stressed that progress should not overwhelm the “dignity of man” and his spirituality. “The pope’s words confirm that science and faith are both gifts from God,” said Italian nuclear physicist Antonino Zichichi, who often comments on biblical issues. “No scientific discovery has ever led man to conclude that God does not exist.”
Monsignor Francis Maniscalco, a spokesman for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, stated, “What belongs to science belongs to science, and what belongs to religion belongs to religion.” However, the Catholic Church cannot have it both ways! Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory — that hu- mankind was the product of a slow, evolutionary process from early forms of life — conflicts with the literal biblical account of creation, that the world, including humans, was created in six days. If we are created by God in six days, then evolution cannot be a “serious hypothesis.” We plead with Catholics to resist this spirit of compromise and contact us for a study concerning the origins of the universe and the gift of salvation which God has given.
Kyle Campbell