Sarah Mitchell
The Catholic Church has long accepted, or at least not objected to, evolutionary theory, and Pope Francis has publicly affirmed that evolution is compatible with church teachings. However, a substantial percentage of American Catholics reject the scientific explanation for the origins of human life. According to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey, 68% of white non-Hispanic Catholics and 53% of Hispanic Catholics believe that humans have evolved over time, while 33% and 31%, respectively, reject that idea. A more recent Gallup poll found that 45% of Catholics believe humans evolved but God guided the process, while 37% believe in the creationist viewpoint. These findings suggest that the percentage of Catholics who are creationists may be influenced by how questions about evolution are asked.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of Catholics who believe in creationism | 37% |
| Percentage of Catholics who believe in evolution | 45% |
| Percentage of Catholics who believe in creationism (White non-Hispanic) | 33% |
| Percentage of Catholics who believe in creationism (Hispanic) | 31% |
| Percentage of Catholics who believe in creationism (White) | 13% |
| Percentage of Americans who believe in creationism | 38% |
| Percentage of Americans who believe in creationism (White evangelical Protestants) | 64% |
| Percentage of Americans who believe in creationism (Black Protestants) | 27% |
| Percentage of Americans who believe in creationism (White mainline Protestants) | 16% |
| Percentage of Americans who believe in creationism (Unaffiliated) | 9% |
| Percentage of Americans who believe in creationism (Overall) | 18% |
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What You'll Learn
Catholics believe in evolution, not creationism
The Catholic Church has been much less conservative on evolution than many Americans, who contend that God created Adam from dust and Eve from Adam's rib. In 2014, Pope Francis stated that he believed in evolution, not creationism, which put him at odds with a significant portion of Americans who espoused creationism. The Catholic Church has maintained that there is no intrinsic conflict between Christianity and the theory of evolution, provided that Christians believe that God created all things and that the individual soul is a direct creation by God and not the product of purely material forces. This stance was first articulated by Pope Pius XII in the 1950 encyclical Humani generis, which took a neutral position on human evolution.
Catholics are free to form their own opinions on evolution, but they should do so cautiously, respecting the Church's right to define matters touching on Revelation. The Church supports theistic evolution, also known as evolutionary creation, which holds that things came to be as they are gradually, step by step, under the guidance of God. This belief in theistic evolution allows Catholics to reconcile their faith with the scientific evidence supporting evolution.
Catholic schools teach evolution as part of their science curriculum, and a companion survey of Catholic adults found that 65% of those who attended a Catholic high school believed in evolution compared to 53% of those who did not. Additionally, 45% of Catholics believe that humans evolved but God guided the process, while only 37% hold the creationist viewpoint. This suggests that a significant number of Catholics accept evolution while still incorporating their belief in God's role as a creator.
While the Catholic Church has no official position on the evolution of life, it does allow for the possibility that man's body developed from previous species through some form of theistic evolution. However, the Church insists on the special creation of the human soul, which is believed to be instantly created by God and not a product of evolution. This belief in the simultaneous existence of evolution and God's creative power demonstrates the Catholic Church's willingness to integrate scientific discoveries with religious doctrine.
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Pope Francis' views on creationism
While it is difficult to ascertain an exact percentage, several polls indicate that a minority of Catholics in the US are creationists. According to Gallup, 37% of Catholics believe in the creationist viewpoint, while 45% believe that humans evolved but with God's guidance. Another source states that 27% of Black Protestants take the "creationist" position, while 71% say humans evolved over time.
Now, onto Pope Francis's views on creationism. In 2014, Pope Francis issued a statement at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences that "evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation". He warned against the idea of God as "a magician with a magic wand, able to do everything". Pope Francis's statement was in line with the teachings of previous Popes, including Pope Pius XII, who wrote in 1950 that there was no conflict between evolution and Catholic faith, and Pope John Paul II, who reaffirmed this in 1996. Pope Francis's comments emphasised that God created human beings and allowed them to develop according to internal laws, reaching their fulfilment.
Pope Francis's stance on evolution and creationism sparked international headlines, with some media outlets portraying his words as a break from Catholic tradition. However, as previously mentioned, his comments built upon the teachings of previous Popes and did not signify a theological shift.
It is worth noting that the Catholic Church's position on evolution has evolved since the publication of Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" in 1859. While early contributions to biology were made by Catholic scientists, the Church's official stance on Darwin's theories remained undefined for nearly a century. In recent decades, Popes have actively engaged in the dialogue between creation and evolution, emphasising their compatibility within the Catholic faith.
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Catholics believe God guided evolution
The Catholic Church has no official position on the theory of creation or evolution. However, the Church does not forbid research and discussions on the topic of evolution. Catholics are allowed to believe in either literal or special creation within a six-day, twenty-four-hour period, or that the earth evolved over time under the guidance of God. This idea that God guided the process of evolution is called "theistic evolution" or "developmental creation".
The Catholic Church holds that God initiated and continued the process of creation, and that all humans, whether specially created or evolved, have specially created souls. This belief is supported by Pope Pius XII, who wrote in his 1950 encyclical Humani generis that there is no conflict between Christianity and the theory of evolution, as long as Christians believe that God created all things and that the individual soul is a direct creation by God.
Some Catholic theologians, such as Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Piet Schoonenberg, and Karl Rahner, have discussed the relationship between evolutionary theory and the doctrine of original sin. They generally question the idea of a human fall from an original state of perfection, and Rahner specifically proposes that Adam's sin was the sin of the entire human community.
Catholic schools in the United States and other countries teach evolution as part of their science curriculum, and it is the same curriculum that is taught in secular schools. This indicates that the Catholic Church does not view evolution as contradicting Catholic faith or teachings.
According to a Gallup poll, 45% of Catholics believe that humans evolved with God guiding the process, while 37% hold a creationist viewpoint. This suggests that a significant proportion of Catholics accept the idea of God-guided evolution.
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Catholics' views on human evolution
The Catholic Church holds no official position on the theory of creation or evolution, leaving the specifics 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 Church permits belief in either special creation or developmental creation, but it does not allow atheistic evolution.
The Church has a more definite teaching on human evolution. It allows for the possibility that the human body developed from previous biological forms, under God's guidance, but it insists on the special creation of the soul. Pope Pius XII declared:
> The teaching authority of the Church does not forbid that, in conformity with the present state of human sciences and sacred theology, research and discussions...take place with regard to the doctrine of evolution, insofar as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter— [but] the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that souls are immediately created by God.
Cardinal Paul Poupard added that "the faithful have the obligation to listen to that which secular modern science has to offer, just as we ask that knowledge of the faith be taken into consideration as an expert voice in humanity." Catholics are not biblical literalists, and the interpretation of Genesis and its six days of creation can be grouped into two basic methods of reading the account: a chronological reading and a topical reading. According to the chronological reading, the six days of creation followed each other in strict chronological order, and these days were standard 24-hour days. However, some have denied that they were standard days, as the Hebrew word "yom" can indicate a longer-than-24-hour period.
A survey by Gallup in 2014 found that 42% of Americans espouse creationism, while Pope Francis and 45% of Catholics believe in evolution guided by God. Another survey found that 18% of U.S. adults say humans have always existed in their present form, while 81% say humans have evolved over time.
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Catholics' views on animal evolution
The Catholic Church has historically been less conservative about evolution than many Americans, who contend that God created Adam from dust and Eve from Adam's rib. According to a Gallup poll, 42% of Americans believe God created humans "in their present form 10,000 years ago", while the Pope and many Catholics disagree with this creationist viewpoint.
In 2014, Pope Francis issued a statement at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences that "evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation". He warned against the idea of God as "a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything", suggesting that God created humans and allowed them to develop according to internal laws. This view is supported by other Catholics, who believe that evolution is a legitimate scientific theory and that God is the origin of all things.
The Catholic Church has never officially condemned evolution, and some Catholics accept the theory of evolution as long as it is reconciled with their religious beliefs. For example, while biological evolution may explain the development of the human body, the human soul is spiritual and cannot be explained by a material process. This concept, known as "special transformism", suggests that God added a soul to pre-existing living matter to create the first fully human individuals.
However, there are also Catholics who disagree with the theory of evolution, particularly those who hold more fundamentalist or Protestantized views. They argue that the creation of Adam and Eve, as described in the Bible, cannot be denied, and this poses issues for a strictly evolutionary perspective. Additionally, some Catholics find it challenging to reconcile the idea of original sin and the need for Jesus' sacrifice with the concept of evolution.
While the Catholic Church has not taken an official stance on animal evolution specifically, it is worth noting that the Church has not linked the death of animals to Adam's sin. This suggests that the Church may be open to the idea of animal evolution as a natural process, as long as it is consistent with the belief that God is the ultimate creator.
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Frequently asked questions
According to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey, 33% of White non-Hispanic Catholics are creationists, while 53% of Hispanic Catholics believe that humans have evolved over time. A more recent Gallup survey found that 45% of Catholics believe that humans evolved but God guided the process, while 37% believe in the creationist viewpoint.
White evangelical Protestants are the most likely to reject evolution, with 64% saying that humans have always existed in their present form. In contrast, only 13% of Catholics hold this view.
Acceptance of creationism has been declining over time in the US. In 1982, 44% of Americans adhered to creationism, rising to 47% in 1994. As of 2024, 38% of US adults accept creationism, while 57% believe in some form of evolution.
The way a question is worded and formatted can significantly impact the responses received. When asked a single question, 18% of US adults say humans have always existed in their present form, while 81% say they evolved. However, in a two-question approach, 31% say humans have always existed in their present form, and 68% say they evolved.
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