A few years ago, the Pope made some important announcements that warrant repeating.
As the Vatican attempts to move into the 21st century, parts of the US still remain stubbornly behind. Speaking at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Pope Frances, in 2014, said…
…nothing particularly extraordinary since these are not only mainstream Catholic thought, but members of the Catholic clergy were heavily involved in the creation and refining of both sets of ideas.
The Independent reported in 2014:
The theories of evolution and the Big Bang are real and God is not “a magician with a magic wand”, Pope Francis has declared….
Francis explained that both scientific theories were not incompatible with the existence of a creator – arguing instead that they “require 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,” Francis said.
“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.
“Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.”…
Giovanni Bignami, a professor and president of Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics, told the Italian news agency Adnkronos: “The pope’s statement is significant. We are the direct descendents from the Big Bang that created the universe. Evolution came from creation.”
Giulio Giorello, professor of the philosophy of science at Milan’s University degli Studi, told reporters that he believed Francis was “trying to reduce the emotion of dispute or presumed disputes” with science.
Now, this was a few years ago. I wonder if those American Catholics have had much success in convincing their potestant counterparts who still believe otherwise?