Topic: What does the Catholic Church say about evolution?

Date originally posted: June 30, 2003

Source of this posting: Moderator response to emailed question

Moderator who originally posted this source: Cathy Rusin

Question:   I know that many protestant denominations refuse the idea of evolution. What, if anything, does the Catholic Church teach on the matter? Also, what do people who might disagree do to reconcile this fact?

Answer: 

Hello Mike,

Most Christians (Protestant and Catholic, as well as most Jews understand creation and evolution in a way which is not mutually exclusive. It is only those denominations who insist on a literal Bibical interpretation (although there seems to be some picking and choosing on how much of the Bible they'll interpret literally .. e.g. if they ignore the Old Testament prohibition against eating pork, or Jesus' words against capital punishment)who would have difficulty accepting evolution as a plausible theory.

The Bible, we believe, is more like a library of different types of literature rather than a single book. All inspired by God, all true, but sometimes that truth is deeper than a literal reading of it. (Think about the truth expressed in poetry .... trees don't really whisper, but we understand what that may mean!) So, to force an interpretation out of Genesis that one would find in a high school science book does harm to both science and faith.

In October 1981 Pope John Paul II addressed the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and I'll quote to you from an except of this address, "Scientific Research and Man's (sic) Spiritual Heritage" ...

"The Bible itself speaks to us of the origin of the universe and its makeup, not in order to provide us with a scientific treatise but in order to state the correct relationships of humanity with God and with the universe. Sacred Scripture wishes simply to declare that the world was created by God, and in order to teach this truth it expresses itself in terms of the cosmology in use at the time of the writer...

Any other teaching about the origin and makeup of the universe is alien to the intentions of the Bible, which does not wish to teach us how heaven goes but how one goes to heaven."

The deep truth of the Creation stories (and there is more than one version - which is the literally correct one for the Creationists?!) is that God created everything that exists, gave it order and declares creation good. Humanity is made in God's image and likeness and is responsible for good stewardship of creation. Sin is a reflection/outcome of the loss of or harm to right relationships.

For more information, please see the Catholic Update for June 1994 called "The Creation Story of Genesis: Does it Really Contradict Evolution?" which may be found off the www.AmericanCatholic.org website.

What do people do who might disagree? Well, some people believe that the world is flat, or that men never walked on the moon. Those items and whether you agree with the Catholic teaching that accepts evolution as a possible way that God created the world, are not matters of faith that would determine one's ability to be a 'good Christian'. I would suggest that people who disagree with this interpretation of Genesis seek out a Catholic course or book on Scripture Interpretation as a means to come to a deeper and richer understanding of the gift of God's Word.

Thanks for your question!
Peace,
Cathy Rusin