Creationism vs. evolution?

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I know that the CC is not opposed to the theory of evolution as long as it is acknowledged that it was through God, not independent of God, in which evolution took place to form man. And the human soul cannot have evolved; it was created by God alone.

But then there are the creationist arguments against evolution, and based on my experience, it is mainly Protestants who hold the attitude that any sort of belief in evolution violates Scripture (which it doesn’t). I want to know which idea the CC primarily supports: creationism or evolution? Or is it something else?
 
The Church teaches that God created everything, including us.

The Church does not attempt to teach how.
 
Obsidion said:
I know that the CC is not opposed to the theory of evolution as long as it is acknowledged that it was through God, not independent of God, in which evolution took place to form man. And the human soul cannot have evolved; it was created by God alone.

But then there are the creationist arguments against evolution, and based on my experience, it is mainly Protestants who hold the attitude that any sort of belief in evolution violates Scripture (which it doesn’t). I want to know which idea the CC primarily supports: creationism or evolution? Or is it something else?
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When it comes to ants, plants, bacteria, birds, and bears, and all other non-human living creatures, Catholics are free to choose creationism. If evolution of non-human decomposing anatomies is chosen, Catholics believe in the “one God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.” (Creed professed at the Sunday Holy Sacrifice of the Mass)

In addition to the doctrine of a God-created spiritual soul, The Catholic Church holds that all humankind are direct descendants of two sole real fully-complete human parents. When it comes to the modern science of human evolution, the Catholic Church opposes its basic tenet that humans originated as an indiscriminate, random-breeding, humanizing over many years, population in the thousands. We are descended from a population of two, lovingly known as Adam and Eve.
 
I’m not sure we can say which idea the Church primarily supports because, as far as I am aware, the Church has never made an official statement concerning evolution. What we do know is that the Church is very clear in stating over and over again that God created. He creates and creates in the ultimate sense of bringing things into being that weren’t. Since evolution is a topic that has some flexibility in what individual Catholics choose to believe…it varies from individual to individual. I suppose we could be tempted to say that since the Church hasn’t made a proclamation about evolution that it primarily supports creationism. But I’m not sure that would be accurate. I think the Church is in the business of making proclamations about matters of faith and morals…not science…since the Church’s business is to save souls.
 
JohnGerard said:
I’m not sure we can say which idea the Church primarily supports because, as far as I am aware, the Church has never made an official statement concerning evolution. What we do know is that the Church is very clear in stating over and over again that God created. He creates and creates in the ultimate sense of bringing things into being that weren’t. Since evolution is a topic that has some flexibility in what individual Catholics choose to believe…it varies from individual to individual. I suppose we could be tempted to say that since the Church hasn’t made a proclamation about evolution that it primarily supports creationism. But I’m not sure that would be accurate. I think the Church is in the business of making proclamations about matters of faith and morals…not science…since the Church’s business is to save souls.
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On the contrary, the Church has made statements concerning science that have been debated here on a regular basis. There is no factual information that suggests this subject varies from individual to individual. We are the descendants of two parents. That is what the Church teaches us. The Church is here to tell us the truth about who human beings are. It is also capable of telling us other things that go into the realm of science.

Best,
Ed
 
JohnGerard said:
I’m not sure we can say which idea the Church primarily supports because, as far as I am aware, the Church has never made an official statement concerning evolution.
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For an official Catholic Church statement on a basic tenet of evolution, which is species (including human) evolve as a population, please read paragraphs 35, 36, 37, the Encyclical Humani Generis, 1950, Pius XII

w2.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_12081950_humani-generis.html

In post 3, I used the word population instead of polygenism. The word polygenism as “population” is used because the modern science of human evolution is based on the simple fact that polygenism requires a large population. This [population] foundation of the evolution model conflicts with the Catholic doctrines involving the real existence of Adam and Original Sin.
 
I’m pretty sure that Saint Pope John Paul II made a statement along the lines that Evolution has enough proof to consider it a viable theory. He makes note in his “MESSAGE TO THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES:
ON EVOLUTION” that “In his encyclical Humani Generis (1950), my predecessor Pius XII has already affirmed that there is no conflict between evolution and the doctrine of the faith regarding man and his vocation, provided that we do not lose sight of certain fixed points.”

Read here all of what John Paul II had to say about this and it’s points- [ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP961022.HTM]("MESSAGE TO THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES:
)

He says within his letter and in reference again to Humani Generis - “Today, more than a half-century after the appearance of that encyclical, some new findings lead us toward the recognition of evolution as more than an hypothesis.”
 
ChristRocket said:
I’m pretty sure that Saint Pope John Paul II made a statement along the lines that Evolution has enough proof to consider it a viable theory. He makes note in his “MESSAGE TO THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES:
ON EVOLUTION” that “In his encyclical Humani Generis (1950), my predecessor Pius XII has already affirmed that there is no conflict between evolution and the doctrine of the faith regarding man and his vocation, provided that we do not lose sight of certain fixed points.”

Read here all of what John Paul II had to say about this and it’s points- [ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP961022.HTM](http://message TO THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES:

ON EVOLUTION)

He says within his letter and in reference again to Humani Generis - “Today, more than a half-century after the appearance of that encyclical, some new findings lead us toward the recognition of evolution as more than an hypothesis.”
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Thank you for the link.

Please note that being more than an hypothesis does not automatically mean that St. John Paul II was replacing a Catholic doctrine.

Please consider that there are a lot more doctrines about human origin than “the doctrine of the faith regarding man and his vocation.”

As for fixed points. That does not automatically mean that the rest of the doctrines regarding human origin, human nature, Original Sin, and the necessary Divinity of Jesus Christ have been trashed.

We need to consider the whole picture when it comes to comparing science with Catholicism.
 
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