Speaking at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Pope Francis made comments that put an end to the controversial debate over the origins of human life. The pope admitted that he believes in the Big Bang Theory and evolution while stressing that science and religion can peacefully coexist.
In his declaration, Pope Francis said God is not a "magician with a magic wand." He added that the scientific theories of evolution and the Big Bang are both true and real. He emphasized the theories are not incompatible with the church's views on the origins of the universe and life. He noted the theories did not oppose the role of the Divine Creator, but even required it.
"When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so," the pope said as reported by The Independent UK. Pope Francis then added, "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 Big Bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator but, rather, requires it," Pope Francis expounded. "Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve."
The Big Bang is a scientific theory that the universe was born in a cosmic explosion about 13.7 billion years ago while evolution is a change in the inherited characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.
Pope Francis also said the beginning of the world was not "a work of chaos" but created from a principle of love. According to USA Today, the pope stated sometimes opposing beliefs in creations and evolution could coexist.
Though Pope Francis' understanding of the origins of life still requires a divine force, his opinions are a leap forward for the Catholic Church. And he is not the first pope to welcome the two scientific theories of evolution and Big Bang. The Telegraph UK reported as far back as 1950, Pope Pius XII said there was no fundamental clash between Catholic Doctrine and the theory of evolution.
However, Catholics should believe that the human soul was created by God and not the result of unplanned evolutionary forces. But with the Catholic Church's reputation of being at odds with science, Pope Francis' remarks seemed to be an attempt to reduce the sentiment of presumed arguments between the church and science.
Pope Francis' views were in line with the Catholic Church teaching of the last few decades and were more in keeping with the progressive work of Pope Pius XII that opened the door to the idea of evolution and actively embraced the Big Bang theory. Pope John Paul II even went further and advocated the scientific theories were "more than a hypothesis" and "effectively proven fact."
The declaration of Pope Francis on evolution and the Big Bang theory is keeping in line with a more open view about church issues and the intersection between the spiritual and secular worlds. The pope has also downplayed the significance of heated issues like abortion, contraception and gay marriage. He condemned the "cult of money" and said that atheists can be redeemed.
Pope Francis' declaration on his beliefs on evolution and the Big Bang theory was deemed vital by the president of Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics, Giovanni Bignami. However, at a bishops meeting at the Vatican earlier this month, it still showed that the church as a whole remains to be profoundly divided on several church and social issues.
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