Letters

Papal teaching (letter)

John Young

Contents - Oct 2001 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Liturgy: light at the end of the tunnel - Michael Gilchrist Archbishop George Pell: 'The strong family is a religious family' - Archbishop George Pell News: The Church Around the World Events: Gerry Matatics Visit / Catholic Homeschooling Conference, Parramatta - AD2000 Anglican General Synod 2001 - moves towards women bishops delayed - Nigel Zimmermann Cardinal George of Chicago sacks leading 'progressive' liturgist - Michael Gilchrist Can US bishops enforce Papal teaching on Catholic universities? - Zenit News Service Archbishop Hart opens Thomas More Centre Bookroom - Catherine Sheehan Salesian Archbishop from India visits Australia - Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil SDB Education: Mass attendance: a key measure of Catholic schools' effectiveness - Br John Moylan CFC Eternal Word Television Network's missionary outreach - Michael Daniel Letters: Liturgy translation (letter) - Jack R. Nyman Letters: Church leadership (letter) - Mary Daly Letters: True picture (letter) - Christine Slagter Letters: Homosexuality (letter) - Arnold Jago (Dr) Letters: Papal teaching (letter) - John Young Letters: First parents (letter) - Scot Chaston Letters: Non-Christian gods (letter) - Jane Wilks Letters: Cult (letter) - Wal Maggs Books: 'Apologetics and Catholic Doctrine', Archbishop Sheehan, Fr Peter Joseph - Br Christian Moe FSC (reviewer) Books: 'The One Minute Philosopher' by Montague Brown - Catherine Sheehan (reviewer) Books: 'The Spirit of the Liturgy' by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger - Christopher Quinn (reviewer) Books: Tales Without Reason: Forgotten Heroes of the Apostolate in 1840s Australia - Michael Daniel Books: Seeds of Life: Early Christian Martyrs; Martyrs of Lyons and Vienne - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Poetry: Feast of St Francis of Assisi (4 October) - A. Muir Reflection: Christ's Real Presence in the Eucharist - Bishop Kevin Manning

Gerry Keane has for many years done good work in exposing the errors of evolutionists and giving the scientific case against the theory. But I strongly disagree with his contention (September AD2000) that the teaching of the Catholic Church obliges Catholics to reject human evolution.

He refers to the 1880 encyclical of Leo XIII, Arcanum Divinae Sapientiae, but without quoting it. Doubtless the passage he has in mind is where the Pope speaks of God making man from the slime of the earth on the sixth day of creation, and breathing into his face the breath of life. I am sure it is reading too much into the passage if one interprets it as leaving "no room whatsoever for evolution of human beings", as Mr Keane contends.

Almost all the Church Fathers of the early centuries, says Gerry Keane, "held to ex nihilo special creation of kinds each 'in its whole substance'...". This is incorrect. They thought God directly made the different kinds from pre-existing non-living matter, not that He created them from nothing.

But we cannot validly argue that because nearly all the Fathers held this we are obliged to accept it. The fact is that they did not consider the possibility of evolution but took for granted that God had produced each kind directly from matter. This is similar to their understanding of the Biblical text that "the sun stood still". They were making no doctrinal statement.

If Mr Keane were right in saying that Catholics are obliged to reject human evolution, then both Pope Pius XII and the present Pope have violated this obligation! Pius XII, in his 1950 encyclical Humani Generis, taught that the evolution of the human body may be taught, with due prudence. John Paul II stated: "... from the viewpoint of the doctrine of the Faith, there are no difficulties in explaining the origin of man, in regard to the body, by means of the theory of evolution. It must, however, be added, that this hypothesis proposes only a probability, not a scientific certainty" (General Audience, 15.4.86; L'Osservatore Romano, English edition, 21.4.86).

We must be very careful not to tell Catholics they have an obligation to believe something when the Popes have said otherwise.

JOHN YOUNG
Eastwood, NSW

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 14 No 9 (October 2001), p. 14