Vatican issues defence of evolution, rejects fundamentalist creationism
{{date|November  9, 2005}}
{{Audio|Vatican issues defence of evolution.ogg|2005-11-08}} 

[[w:The Vatican|The Vatican]] issued a defence of [[w:Darwinian evolution|Darwinian evolution]] at a news conference Thursday.

In what many are calling a direct attack on the rising support for fundamentalist creationism in America, Cardinal Poupard, head of the Vatican Pontifical Council for Culture, stated that the Genesis description of God's creation of the universe and Darwin's theory of evolution are "perfectly compatible" if the Bible is properly interpreted.

"The fundamentalists want to give a scientific meaning to words that had no scientific aim," he said, and that the point of Genesis is that "the universe didn't make itself and had a creator."

"The faithful should heed modern science and to guard against religion crossing over to fundamentalism if it ignores scientific reasoning."

"Science should also listen to religion. The atomic bomb and cloning are from reason with no ethical or religious link."

When asked directly about intelligent design, Mons. Basti quoted John Paul II, saying that evolution was "more than just a hypothesis."

==Related news==
*{{Wikinews|title=Teaching Intelligent Design: Dover PA school board election results
|date=November 9, 2005}}

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://lonestartimes.com/2005/11/07/vatican-official-defends-evolution-theory/
|title=Vatican official defends evolution theory
|author=Matt Bramanti
|pub=Lone Star Times
|date=November 08, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17162341-13762,00.html
|title=Evolution in the bible, says Vatican
|author=Martin Penner
|pub=News.com.au
|date=November 07, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/11/03/news/vat.php
|title= Cardinal urges Catholics to heed modern science
|author=
|pub=Associated Press
|date=November 04, 2005}}

{{Publish}}

{{archive}}
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:The Vatican]]

[[ru:Ватикан выступил в защиту эволюционной теории]]
The Vatican issued a defence of Darwinian evolution at a news conference Thursday.

In what many are calling a direct attack on the rising support for fundamentalist creationism in America, Cardinal Poupard, head of the Vatican Pontifical Council for Culture, stated that the Genesis description of God's creation of the universe and Darwin's theory of evolution are "perfectly compatible" if the Bible is properly interpreted.

"The fundamentalists want to give a scientific meaning to words that had no scientific aim," he said, and that the point of Genesis is that "the universe didn't make itself and had a creator."

"The faithful should heed modern science and to guard against religion crossing over to fundamentalism if it ignores scientific reasoning."

"Science should also listen to religion. The atomic bomb and cloning are from reason with no ethical or religious link."

When asked directly about intelligent design, Mons. Basti quoted John Paul II, saying that evolution was "more than just a hypothesis."

*

*
Religion Europe The Vatican