Joshua Bennett
The Catholic Church has never condemned the theory of evolution, and the majority of Catholic scientists, philosophers, and theologians have accepted the truth of biological evolution for many decades. 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. The Church's first explicit statement about evolution came in 1950 with Pope Pius XII's encyclical letter Humani Generis, which stated that the origin of the human body was open to discussion among experts as long as the theological significance of the question was acknowledged. In 2005, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn appeared to support Intelligent Design, but later accepted the scientific theory of evolution in his book. In 2014, Pope Francis stated that Darwinian evolution and the Big Bang theory are real, but his stance still leaves room for a divine creator.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official position on evolution | The Catholic Church holds no official position on the theory of creation or evolution |
| Catholic belief in evolution | The Catholic Church has never condemned the theory of evolution. The truth of biological evolution has been accepted by the majority of Catholic scientists, philosophers and theologians for many decades. |
| First official pronouncement on evolution | Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical letter, Humani Generis, in 1950 |
| Catholic Church's stance on Darwin's theory of evolution | The Catholic Church did not make any official pronouncements on Darwin's theory of evolution for many decades |
| Catholic Church's stance on evolution of mankind | The Catholic Church is cautious about the evolution of mankind, pointing out that the human soul cannot be explained by any material process such as biological evolution |
| Catholic Church's stance on evolution and divine creator | The Catholic Church's stance on evolution still leaves room for a divine creator |
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What You'll Learn
- The Catholic Church has no official position on evolution
- Catholics are free to accept evolution as a hypothesis or speculation
- The Church has never condemned evolution
- Pope Pius XII's 1950 encyclical letter was the first official pronouncement on evolution
- Pope Francis stated that Darwinian evolution and the Big Bang are real
The Catholic Church has no official position on evolution
The Catholic Church has never condemned the theory of evolution, nor does it have an official position on the theory of evolution or creationism. It leaves the specifics of either theory to the individual, within certain parameters. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Catholics may accept either literal or special creation within a six-day, twenty-four-hour period, or they may accept that the earth evolved over time under God's guidance.
The Catholic Church's position on evolution has evolved since the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species in 1859. While many Catholic theologians had serious concerns and doubts about aspects of evolution, these were almost entirely about the evolution of human beings, rather than about the evolution of other species or natural selection. This was because human evolution raises important questions about human nature, morality, the human soul, and the doctrine of Original Sin.
In 1950, Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical letter, Humani Generis, the first pronouncement ever made about evolution by the "universal magisterium" of the Catholic Church. In it, he distinguished between the origin of the human body and the origin of the human soul, rejecting the evolution of the soul as inconsistent with Catholic faith. He wrote that 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, in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter."
In recent decades, the popes and bishops have reiterated that it is not the role of the Church to pass judgment on questions that belong to the empirical sciences. In 2005, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn appeared to support Intelligent Design, giving rise to speculation about a new direction in the Church's stance on the compatibility between evolution and Catholic doctrine. However, in his 2007 book, Chance or Purpose, he accepted the "scientific theory of evolution" while attacking "evolutionism as an ideology."
In 2014, Pope Francis stated that Darwinian evolution is real and that Catholics should accept it, along with the Big Bang theory. He said that God created humans and let them develop according to internal laws, leaving room for a divine creator.
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Catholics are free to accept evolution as a hypothesis or speculation
The Catholic Church holds 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 period of actual six-day, twenty-four-hour periods, or they may accept the belief that the earth evolved over time under the guidance of God.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, written in 1909 and also published with the approval of Church authorities, first described the basic idea of evolution and then stated: "This is the gist of the theory of evolution as a scientific hypothesis. It is in perfect agreement with the Christian conception of the universe."
In 1950, Pope Pius XII issued his encyclical letter Humani Generis, marking the Church's first official pronouncement on evolution. The Pope specifically addressed the question of the evolution of man, distinguishing between the origin of the human body and the origin of the human spiritual soul. He asserted that the evolution of the spiritual soul is inconsistent with the Catholic faith.
While the Church permits belief in either special creation or developmental creation, it does not allow for atheistic evolution. Catholics are expected to understand that God created the spiritual soul, which did not evolve and is not inherited from parents. This belief is central to the Catholic faith, and any theory of evolution must be considered within these parameters.
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The Church has never condemned evolution
The Catholic Church has never condemned evolution. It holds 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 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 never made an official pronouncement on evolution, and Catholics are free to accept evolution as a scientific hypothesis or a philosophical speculation. This position was given official toleration in Pope Pius XII's 1950 encyclical letter Humani Generis, which was the first pronouncement ever made about evolution by the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII declared that the teaching authority of the Church does not forbid research and discussions on the doctrine of evolution, as long as it is understood that souls are created by God and did not evolve.
The Church has traditionally interpreted the Book of Genesis metaphorically, and Catholic theology has allowed for biblical text to be read allegorically when it appears to contradict scientific or rational findings. For example, Catholic scientists such as the Augustinian friar Gregor Mendel have made early contributions to biology. Even before Darwin's publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859, a literal reading of the Book of Genesis had long been undermined by developments in geology and other fields.
While the Church permits belief in either special creation or developmental creation, it does not permit belief in atheistic evolution. Catholics are expected to weigh the evidence for the universe's age by examining biblical and scientific evidence. The Church has determined that the universe is of finite age, but it has not defined when the world was created.
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Pope Pius XII's 1950 encyclical letter was the first official pronouncement on evolution
The Catholic Church holds 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 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.
Pope Pius XII's 1950 encyclical letter, Humani Generis, was the first official pronouncement on evolution by the "universal magisterium" of the Catholic Church. The letter took a nuanced position on evolution, neither endorsing nor rejecting it outright. It stated that the teaching authority of the Church does not forbid research and discussions on the doctrine of evolution, as long as it is understood that the Catholic faith maintains that souls are immediately created by God and did not evolve. This position was in line with the Church's view that the evolution of human beings at the physical level is consistent with Catholic faith, provided that the spiritual soul is understood to have been conferred by God directly.
The encyclical addressed the obstacles to seeking and finding God by reason alone and emphasised the importance of both human reason and divine revelation. It also recognised the possibility that man's body could have developed from previous biological forms under God's guidance while insisting on the special creation of the soul. Pope Pius XII's language in the encyclical was notably more direct and urgent in tone compared to his usual diplomatic and carefully measured style, reflecting his conviction regarding the serious nature of opinions threatening to undermine the foundation of Catholic doctrine.
The encyclical caused a "freezing of systematic theology into a Thomist orthodoxy," according to Fr. Brian Van Hove SJ, which was later eased by Pope John Paul II's 1993 Veritatis splendor. While the encyclical did not endorse a comprehensive acceptance of evolution, it authorised research and discussions on the topic, weighing the reasons for both favourable and unfavourable opinions. It is important to note that the Catholic Church has never condemned the theory of evolution, and many Catholic scientists, philosophers, and theologians have accepted it for many decades.
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Pope Francis stated that Darwinian evolution and the Big Bang are real
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 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.
In 2014, Pope Francis declared that Darwinian evolution and the Big Bang theory are real and that God is not "a magician with a magic wand". Speaking at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Pope stated that both scientific theories were not incompatible with the existence of a creator but instead "require it". He clarified that the Big Bang, considered to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of a divine creator but requires it. Pope Francis further explained that evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.
Pope Francis's statements on evolution and the Big Bang Theory are an attempt to reconcile faith and modern science, keeping Christianity relevant for the next generation of Catholics. This is not the first time the Catholic Church has attempted to reconcile evolutionary theory and Catholic theology. In 1909, an article on "Catholics and Evolution" in the Catholic Encyclopedia described the basic idea of evolution and stated that it was "in perfect agreement with the Christian conception of the universe". Similarly, in 1929, a book on Catholicism called "The Question Box", published with the approval of Church authorities, stated that "Catholics are perfectly free to accept evolution, either as a scientific hypothesis or as a philosophical speculation".
The Catholic Church has never condemned the theory of evolution. However, there has been concern about the implications of evolutionary theory for the origin of the human species, as human evolution raises questions about human nature, morality, the human spiritual soul, and the doctrine of Original Sin. The position that ultimately prevailed within the Catholic Church was that the evolution of human beings at the physical level is consistent with Catholic faith as long as the spiritual soul is understood to have been conferred by God directly upon the first human beings. This position was given official toleration in Pope Pius XII's 1950 "encyclical letter" Humani generis, the first pronouncement ever made about evolution by the "universal magisterium" of the Catholic Church.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the Catholic Church never condemned the theory of evolution.
The Catholic Church holds no official position on the theory of creation or evolution. Catholics are free to 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 considers the origin of the human body to be open to discussion among experts, as long as the theological significance of the question is acknowledged. The Church maintains that the human soul is specially created and conferred by God and did not evolve.
The Catholic Church first brought evolution into the fold in 1950 with Pope Pius XII's encyclical letter, Humani Generis, which addressed the evolution of man and distinguished between the origin of the human body and the origin of the human soul.
