Sarah Mitchell
The Catholic Church does not deny evolution. In fact, the Church has no official position on the theory of evolution or creation, leaving the specifics to the individual. Catholics are free to form their own opinions and accept evolution as long as they believe that God is the origin of all things and that humans have souls created directly by God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve. While some Catholics may hold anti-evolution sentiments, the Church has never condemned the theory of evolution and many Catholic scientists, philosophers, and theologians accept the truth of biological evolution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official position on evolution | The Catholic Church has no official position on the theory of evolution or creation. |
| Evolution and Church teachings | The Catholic Church maintains that evolution is not inconsistent with Church teachings and the concept of creation. |
| Evolution and the Bible | The Catholic Church does not view evolution as conflicting with the Bible. |
| Catholic scientists and evolution | The majority of Catholic scientists accept the truth of biological evolution. |
| Catholic theologians and evolution | Catholic theologians have historically had concerns about human evolution, but not about the evolution of other species. |
| Catholic laity and evolution | Most Catholics are pro-evolution, but a substantial percentage of American Catholics reject evolution. |
| Types of evolution | The Catholic Church accepts theistic evolution, but not atheistic evolution. |
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What You'll Learn
The Catholic Church's stance on evolution
The Catholic Church has no official position on the theory of creation or evolution, leaving the specifics of either theistic evolution or literal creationism to the individual within certain parameters established by the Church. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, any believer may accept either literal or special creation within a six-day, twenty-four-hour period, or they may accept the belief that the earth evolved over time under the guidance of God.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994, revised 1997) on faith, evolution, and science states:
> "Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve."
The Catholic Church has never condemned the theory of evolution. The Church first brought evolution into the fold in 1950 with Pope Pius XII, who wrote in his encyclical Humani generis that "the teaching authority of the Church does not forbid that... research and discussions... take place with regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter."
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that God initiated and continued the process of creation, that Adam and Eve were real people, and that all humans, whether specially created or evolved, have always had specially created souls. Catholics are free to form their own opinions but should not confuse fact with conjecture and must respect the Church's right to define matters touching on Revelation.
Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, has reaffirmed the Church's view that Darwinian evolution and the Big Bang are real. He stated that "God is not... a magician, but the Creator who brought everything to life. Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve."
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Catholics' individual beliefs on evolution
The Catholic Church holds no official position on the theory of evolution, leaving the specifics of either theistic evolution or literal creationism to the individual within certain parameters. Catholics are free to form their own opinions, but they should do so cautiously and not confuse fact with conjecture. They must also respect the Church's right to define matters touching on Revelation.
Catholics must believe that humans have souls created directly by God. Since the soul is a spiritual substance, it is not brought into being through the transformation of matter, but directly by God, making each person unique. All men have descended from an individual, Adam, who has transmitted original sin to all mankind. Catholics may not believe in "polygenism", the scientific hypothesis that mankind descended from a group of original humans (that there were many Adams and Eves).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that any believer may accept either literal or special creation within the period of an actual six-day, twenty-four-hour period, or they may accept the belief that the earth evolved over time under the guidance of God.
According to Pope Pius XII, the question of the origin of man's body from pre-existing and living matter is a legitimate matter of inquiry for natural science. The Catholic faith, however, obliges us to hold that souls are created by God and not by physical causes alone. This position was given official tolerance in Pope Pius XII's 1950 encyclical letter, Humani generis.
The Catholic Church has never condemned the theory of evolution. In fact, the truth of biological evolution has been accepted by the overwhelming majority of Catholic scientists, philosophers, and theologians for many decades. Catholics are therefore free to follow the evidence wherever it may lead.
Some Catholics are unsure what to think of biological evolution. They hear from their evangelical Protestant friends and neighbours that it is contrary to Christian belief, but they do not hear much on the subject from authorities in the Catholic Church. The topic is never explicitly mentioned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Public discussions of evolution and religion are often dominated by fundamentalist Christians who reject evolution based on narrowly literalistic readings of the Bible. However, the Church has made it clear that it is not its role to pass judgment on questions that belong to the empirical sciences.
The Big Bang, which is posited as the origin of the world, does not contradict the divine act of creating but rather requires it. Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.
The Catholics who are young earthers tend to be fairly Protestantized in their personal theology. The main issue is that one cannot deny the creation of Adam and Eve (original sin) and that does pose issues for a strict evolutionary perspective. But as long as those views can be reconciled, the Church is not opposed to accepting evolutionary science.
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The Church's stance on science
The Catholic Church does not deny evolution. In fact, the Church has no official position on the theory of creation or evolution, leaving the specifics of either theistic evolution or literal creationism to the individual within certain parameters established by the Church. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, any believer may accept either literal or special creation within the period of an actual six-day, twenty-four-hour period, or they may accept the belief that the earth evolved over time under the guidance of God.
The Catholic Church has a long history of contributing to scientific advancements, with early biologists such as the Augustinian friar Gregor Mendel, and physicist and priest Georges Lemaître, who developed the Big Bang Theory. The Church has also never condemned the theory of evolution, and many Catholic scientists, philosophers, and theologians have accepted the truth of biological evolution for many decades.
While the Church does not endorse specific scientific theories, it has shown that it is open to scientific inquiry and accepts the legitimacy of scientific findings. Pope Francis, for example, has stated that evolution and the Big Bang are real, and that they are not inconsistent with Church teachings on creation. The Church's stance on evolution and cosmology leaves room for a divine creator, but places his or her role in the time before the birth of the universe.
However, it is important to note that there are varying opinions among Catholics regarding evolution. While the majority of Catholics are pro-evolution, some, particularly those who are ""young earthers", may hold more Protestantized views that conflict with evolutionary science. Additionally, some Catholics may struggle to reconcile the concept of evolution with the creation of Adam and Eve and the doctrine of Original Sin.
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The Bible and evolution
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994, revised 1997) on faith, evolution, and science states that the Big Bang, which is posited as the origin of the world, does not contradict the divine act of creating but rather requires it. Pope Francis has reaffirmed this view, stating that "evolution in nature is not inconsistent" with Church teaching on creation. He also stated that God is not a magician but a creator who brought everything to life, and that evolution presupposes the creation of beings that evolve.
The Church's position allows for the possibility that man's body developed from previous species through some form of theistic evolution, guided by God's providence. This is because the Church maintains that the human soul is not the product of evolution but is specially created by God. This belief is supported by Pope Pius XII, who wrote in his 1950 encyclical Humani generis that the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that the soul is created by God.
While the Catholic Church has taken no official stance on evolution, it has been accepted by the overwhelming majority of Catholic scientists, philosophers, and theologians for many decades. The Church has never condemned the theory of evolution, and early contributions to biology were made by Catholic scientists such as the Augustinian friar Gregor Mendel.
However, it is worth noting that some Catholics, particularly those who are ""young earthers," may hold different views on evolution, and a substantial percentage of American adults, including Catholics, reject the scientific explanation for the origins of human life.
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The soul and evolution
The Catholic Church does not hold an official position on the theory of evolution or creationism. However, it has accepted or at least not objected to evolutionary theory for many decades, and the majority of Catholic scientists, philosophers, and theologians accept the truth of biological evolution. The Church allows for the possibility that man’s body developed from previous species through some form of theistic evolution, guided by God. This view holds that God created the beings that would evolve, and that the human soul is specially created by God, and not a product of evolution.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994, revised 1997) states that evolution and creation do not contradict each other, and Pope Francis has reaffirmed this view, stating that "evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation". Pope Pius XII also wrote in his 1950 encyclical Humani generis that the Catholic faith does not forbid research and discussions on the doctrine of evolution.
While the Church does not forbid these discussions, it maintains that humans have souls that are created directly by God, and that this spiritual substance is not brought into being through the transformation of matter. This belief in the soul's special uniqueness is a key aspect of Catholic doctrine, and it is not subject to evolution.
The Church's position on evolution has evolved over time. In the decades following Darwin's publication of his theory in 1859, many Catholic theologians had serious concerns about human evolution, as it raised questions about human nature, morality, and the doctrine of Original Sin. However, the Church eventually adopted the position that the evolution of humans at the physical level is consistent with Catholic faith, as long as the spiritual soul is understood to have been conferred by God.
The Catholic Church's stance on evolution and the soul allows for a reconciliation of faith and science. Catholics are free to accept evolution as long as they believe that God is the origin of all things and that the human soul is created by God. This view acknowledges the scientific evidence for evolution while maintaining the Church's teachings on the soul and the role of God as the creator.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the Catholic Church does not deny evolution. Pope Francis has reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's view that "evolution in nature is not inconsistent" with church teaching on creation. The Church has no official position on the theory of creation or evolution, leaving the specifics to the individual within certain parameters established by the Church.
The Catholic Church has accepted or at least not objected to evolutionary theory for many decades. The Church allows for the possibility that man’s body developed from previous species through some form of theistic evolution. However, Catholics must believe that humans have souls that were created directly and instantly by God.
Theistic evolution is the idea that things came to be gradually, step-by-step, with someone invisibly guiding the process. In this case, the guidance is known as divine providence. The Catholic Church's stance on evolution is that of theistic evolution, where the idea of a creator and the tenets of Darwinian evolution overlap.
