The Catholic establishment has now officially endorsed (or at least, does not oppose) the theory evolution as the mechanism that explains the diversity of life on the planet. This has been official Catholic position for some time now, accepting that the human body was formed through the process of evolution, but also stating that the soul [/b]was an immediate creation by God. See the statement below;

Concerning human evolution, the Church has a more definite teaching. It allows for the possibility that man’s body developed from previous biological forms, under God’s guidance, but it insists on the special creation of his soul. Pope Pius XII declared that "the teaching authority of the Church does not forbid that, in conformity with the present state of human sciences and sacred theology, research and discussions . . . take place with regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter—[b][but] the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that souls are immediately created by God" (Pius XII, Humani Generis 36). So whether the human body was specially created or developed, we are required to hold as a matter of Catholic faith that the human soul is specially created; it did not evolve, and it is not inherited from our parents, as our bodies are. Source: http://www.catholic.com/library/adam_eve_and_evolution.asp


This statement takes for granted the existence of the soul, something that cannot be proven to exist. But let's forget about that for a moment. What this statement fails to deal with is when the soul might have been infused into the human body during the process of evolution. Did it happen only when we had attained the form in which we currently exist today? Or did Homo erectuses, Homo habillis also have souls? A clarification from the Catholic authorities would be much appreciated.

If humans indeed evolved from other lifeforms, then there never was a Garden of Eden, Adam & Eve and the serpent. If these entities never existed, then there is no such thing as Original Sin? Consequently, whence the need for Salvation?


Other references;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_and_the_Roman_Catholic_Church


=====================================================================================================

Some of my other threads


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https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-114215.0.html

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https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-114023.0.html#msg1972418
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https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113283.0.html

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https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113277.0.html#msg1962589

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https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-113186.0.html#msg1961537

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On The Authenticity Of The New Testament, Part 2
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====================================================================================================

therationa:
If humans indeed evolved from other lifeforms, then there never was a Garden of Eden, Adam & Eve and the serpent. If these entities never existed, then there is no such thing as Original Sin? Consequently, whence the need for Salvation?

@therationa
Your argument does not follow. The Pope's statement is no proof of evolution. He merely accommodated the theory within mainstream teaching.

imhotep:

@therationa
Your argument does not follow. The Pope's statement is no proof of evolution. He merely accommodated the theory within mainstream teaching.

nowhere in my post did i say that the pope's statement was proof of evolution. read it again pls.

therationa:

The Catholic establishment has now officially endorsed (or at least, does not oppose) the theory evolution as the mechanism that explains the diversity of life on the planet. This has been official Catholic position for some time now, accepting that the human body was formed through the process of evolution, but also stating that the [b]soul [/b]was an immediate creation by God. See the statement below;

Then what do you imply above

What you term 'official endorsement' does not automatically mean PROOF.

imhotep:

Then what do you imply above

What you term 'official endorsement' does not automatically mean PROOF.

imhotep:

Then what do you imply above

What you term 'official endorsement' does not automatically mean PROOF.

what do u think?

DISCOVERING AND RECOVERING YOUR DESTINY (PART 1)
More often than not people have underestimated the subject of destiny.60 percent of people in the world do not believe in it.30 percent do but have not discovered theirs and that puts them in the same class of those who do not believe in it.10 percent of people living on earth have discovered theirs and working in the reality of it.No wonder the number of purpose driven people on earth is so few.Many people seems to be doing what they like or what the society has influenced them to do.
Let me proceed further by saying that you did not decide your birth have you even thought of how helpless you would have been in your mothers womb or even as an infant child.You did not appear here by chance,you are not a biological accident you are creature of destiny and until your destiny is discovered life becomes a misery and u live like a destitute.You live unfulfilled and I pray you don’t die that way.
You came to this world because God Decided that you should come He embedded in you great potentials that would solve most of the problems of this world.
Whether you like it or not God is your creator, He is your manufacturer and you are his product,Just like you cant store drinks in your television and watch programmes with your refrigerator so also you cannot determine your purpose or destiny you can on ly discover it.And the best way to do that is by Going back to the manufacturer God through Jesus Christ.
You have an ALREADY MADE PLAN STOP LIVING IN YOUR OWN PLAN THERE IS NO FUTURE THERE IT MIGHT LOOK SWEET FOR A WHILE BUT IT WOULD COS U TO CONTINUE SWEATING
THIS IS THE PART 1 OF THIS POST WATCH OUT FOR THE PART 2
OMEGA WORLD NETWORK,uchkochi@yahoo.com,omegaworldnetwork@Gmail.com.+2348052773865

th
erationa:

what do u think?

Let me quote from Humani Generis ->

5) Some imprudently and indiscreetly hold that evolution, which has not been fully proved even in the domain of natural sciences, explains the origin of all things, and audaciously support the monistic and pantheistic opinion that the world is in continual evolution. Communists gladly subscribe to this opinion so that, when the souls of men have been deprived of every idea of a personal God, they may the more efficaciously defend and propagate their dialectical materialism.

6) Such fictitious tenets of evolution which repudiate all that is absolute, firm and immutable, have paved the way for the new erroneous philosophy which, rivaling idealism, immanentism and pragmatism, has assumed the name of existentialism, since it concerns itself only with existence of individual things and neglects all consideration of their immutable essences.

36) For these reasons the Teaching Authority of the Church does not forbid that, in conformity with the present state of human sciences and sacred theology, research and discussions, on the part of men experienced in both fields, take place with regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter - for the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that souls are immediately created by God. However, this must be done in such a way that the reasons for both opinions, that is, those favorable and those unfavorable to evolution, be weighed and judged with the necessary seriousness, moderation and measure, and provided that all are prepared to submit to the judgment of the Church, to whom Christ has given the mission of interpreting authentically the Sacred Scriptures and of defending the dogmas of faith

etc, etc

-------------------
The Pope was saying -> even if we assume that the theory of evolution is found to be true, it cannot explain the origin of the human soul. We must hold that the soul is created directly by God .

He merely made room for the accommodation of the theory of evolution - whenever it is found to be true.