How can we be sure Adam and Eve were real?

[SeekingTruth33]

I am trying to understand the Creation story in Genesis in the context of evolution. I know that according to Catholic doctrine, the principle of evolution is not in conflict with our beliefs. However, how do you reconcile Adam and Eve being real people with the way evolution works? The first human would have had to have been a female, and she would have been the mother, not wife, of Adam. Secondly, how can the Church be sure the Creation story is true in regards to Adam and Eve being real? In contrast to the accounts of Jesus in the Gospel, which were written mere decades after the fact, the Creation story began as an oral tradition, and would have to have been around thousands of years after the fact. Wouldn’t anything from this part of Genesis be less verifiable? Thanks!

 

[Augusta_Crowley]

These links should be helpful for understanding the Church’s teachings on Adam and Eve. If you have any further questions or concerns that are not answered by these links, please [contact Catholic Answers (http://www.catholic.com/home/contact.asp) directly.

**Recommended Reading:
**

• Were Adam and Eve real people?
• Why do Catholics say that the creation stories are symbolic?
• Are the Old Testament stories myths?
• Why are there two different creation stories in Genesis?