Rhinocrisy

In 1996 the Pope made a famous statement that was construed by many parties as endorsing the theory of evolution. Therein he acknowledged that evolution is “more than just a hypothesis”. But he also included several caveats:

Pius XII stressed this essential point: if the human body takes its origin from pre-existent living matter the spiritual soul is immediately created by God (”animal enim a Deo immediate creari catholica fides nos retinere inhet”; Encyclical Humani generic, AAS 42 [1950], p. 575).

Consequently, theories of evolution which, in accordance with the philosophies inspiring them, consider the mind as emerging from the forces of living matter, or as a mere epiphenomenon of this matter, are incompatible with the truth about man. Nor are they able to ground the dignity of the person.

Philosophical naturalism, especially as it concerns the human mind, might be incompatible with the Christian understanding of the soul. But he concludes by saying this need not necessarily dismay us:

Consideration of the method used in the various branches of knowledge makes it possible to reconcile two points of view which would seem irreconcilable. The sciences of observation describe and measure the multiple manifestations of life with increasing precision and correlate them with the time line. The moment of transition into the spiritual cannot be the object of this kind of observation, which nevertheless can discover at the experimental level a series of very valuable signs indicating what is specific to the human being. But the experience of metaphysical knowledge, of self-awareness and self-reflection, of moral conscience, freedom, or again, of aesthetic and religious experience, falls within the competence of philosophical analysis and reflection while theology brings out its ultimate meaning according to the Creator’s plans.

Earlier this year a cardinal wrote an op-ed downplaying this statement and expressing his support for “intelligent design” theory.

Well, now the Vatican has stepped up to unequivocally support the theory of evolution (and secular science more generally) and shut down any nagging doubts about where the church stands. Cardinal Poupard, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, says:

“The fundamentalists want to give a scientific meaning to words that had no scientific aim,” the French prelate said at a Vatican press conference. The real message of the first chapter of Genesis was that “the Universe didn’t make itself and had a creator”.

This idea was part of theology, Cardinal Poupard said. Precise details of how creation and the development of the species came about belonged to a different realm - science. “Science and theology act in different fields, each in its own,” he added.

Cardinal Poupard said it was important for Roman Catholic believers to know how science saw things so as to “understand things better”.

Of course I don’t think this will have any impact on Americans. Willful ignorance seems to be a priority here.