The Church and Evolution I would like to reproduce briefly an interview with Fr.Vittorio Marcozzi, Vatican anthropologist, on Evolution.
Fr.M.: "I agree with Cardinal Ratzinger (now Benedict XVI) that we cannot speak of creation versus evolution, but rather of creation and evolution," Fr.V.Marcozzi told Inside the Vatican. "To admit evolution does not necessarily signify denying God's intervention. There are at least three 'moments' when divine intervention is necessary and evident: the appearance of life, that is of the first living organisms; the evolutionary possibilities with which God imbues these organisms; and, finally, the coming of man, whose spiritual qualities implicate God's special intervention." Fr.M: "Evolution is not admissible without the mediation of a supreme Mind which established the laws of nature governing natural processes and which created nature itself. Although Church Fathers, such as St. Basil, St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Augustine lacked a modern conception of evolution, they espoused ideas which approximated evolutionary theories. The Church Fathers maintained that God, in his first creative act, imbued matter with the "potentiality" or power to produce different animal and plant species. I favor the idea of evolution as a succession of beings, genetically related, but increasingly diverse and complex. The fundamental question is that of the First Cause". How do you judge Darwin's theory? Fr.M.: "For Darwin - a materialist criticized by his own wife for his lack of faith - evolution was set in motion by outside causal factors such as natural selection and the struggle for survival. According to the English scientist, all beings, including Man, evolve from causal mutations. Apart from the absence of clear proofs for the intermediary forms of human existence, can we really believe that such marvelous beings, particularly man himself, are products of mere chance? A billion and a half years have passed between the existence of one-celled and many-celled organisms, and yet there seem to be no intermediate forms linking the two. These links are missing; they may never be found. What explains such great evolutionary leaps? Can they possibly be the result of material changes? I rather see a divine intervention"n. Can evolution be supported by the Bible? Fr.M.: There are two accounts of Genesis in the Bible. The more recent account describes creation in seven days and a repose on the Sabbath. The earlier account presumes that creation happened in one day. The significance of both is that God created all things; evolution in no way contradicts this affirmation. In synthesis, God created Man from matter and then infused him with a spirit. What is your opinion of the Holy Father's (John Paul II) message to the Pontifical Academy of Science (October 23, 1996)? Fr.M.: The Holy Father's message contains no specific recognition of Darwin or his theories. John Paul II is proceeding along the doctrinal lines traced by the Popes before him. There are many different theories of Evolution. It is possible to accept evolution as a theory, while affirming that the spiritual and philosophical elements must remain outside the competence of Science. The Holy Father does not affirm that evolution has become a certain, demonstrable doctrine. In the Holy Father's own words: "Rather than speaking of the theory of evolution, we should speak of (various) theories of evolution," since there does not seem to be unanimity among scientists. He does reassert the Church's competence to assess the theological and philosophical repercussions of evolutionary theories. The Church thus excludes, as Pius XII stated, "purely materialist or reductive analyses," which leave no room for spiritual interpretations. John Paul II reaffirmed this essential emphasis: "Even if the human body originates from pre-existent living matter, the spiritual soul is spontaneously created by God." Regards. Fr.Ivo
