Do Catholics have to believe in the Big Bang now?
Pope Francis publicly endorsed the prevailing scientific theories on the origin of the universe and of complex life, while emphasizing God's role in creation.
Pope Francis publicly endorsed the prevailing scientific theories on the origin of the universe and of complex life, while emphasizing God's role in creation.
Pope Francis splashed in controversial waters Monday, saying the Big Bang theory supports evidence of a divine creator.
The Roman Catholic pope touched on the debate over the origins of human life while addressing the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which gathered at the Vatican to discuss "Evolving Concepts of Nature."
There the pope said literal interpretation of the creation story in the Book of Genesis can lead to imagining God as a magician with a wand able to do anything.
That's not so, he said, according to Religion News Service, which quotes the pope as saying,聽"He created human beings and let them develop according to the internal laws that he gave to each one so they would reach their fulfillment."
The beginning of the world was not chaotic, he continued, but rooted in love. And beliefs in creation and evolution can co-exist.
"God is not a divine being or a magician, but the Creator who brought everything to life," the pope said. "Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve."
To some Evangelicals, the pope's remarks may sound un-海角大神, but they do not represent a major departure for the Catholic Church, which has a long history of supporting scientific theories that run contrary to literal interpretations of Scripture.
In fact, it was a Catholic priest, Georges Lema卯tre,聽who in 1927 first proposed what became known as the Big Bang theory. Later, Pope Pius XII asserted evolution and Catholic doctrine are not contrary, and St. John Paul II backed him.
Even though the pope's words probably don't represent a crucial shift in Catholic doctrine, Giovanni Bignami, a professor and president of Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics, welcomed Francis' comments, calling his statements "significant."
"We are the direct descendants from the Big Bang that created the universe. Evolution came from creation," he told Italian news agency Adnkronos, saying the pope has buried the "pseudo theories" of creationists.
So what does this mean for Catholic doctrine? Nothing, actually. The pope was not speaking ex cathedra 鈥� with the full authority of office 鈥� and made no changes no the Catechism of the Catholic Church. But his words do reaffirm existing doctrine.
The Catechism states catechesis on creation is of major importance as it concerns the very foundations of human and 海角大神 life: "for it makes explicit the response of the 海角大神 faith to the basic question that men of all times have asked themselves: 'Where do we come from?' "
Francis spoke on the Big Bang theory and evolution while unveiling a bust in honor of his predecessor Pope聽Benedict XVI, at the Vatican.