VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 19, 2008 (Zenit.org).- There is no a priori incompatibility between the Bible and Darwin's theory of evolution, says the president of the Pontifical Council for Culture.
Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, also president of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, affirmed this Tuesday when he presented an upcoming international conference that will gather theologians and scientists to discuss Charles Darwin's theory.
The March 3-7 conference, to be held in Rome, marks 150 years since Darwin publicized his findings in "Origin of Species."
The conference is organized as part of the Science, Theology and the Ontological Quest project, a venture sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture. The Pontifical Gregorian University and the University of Notre Dame are also sponsoring the event ...
http://www.zenit.org/article-23664?l=englishVatican Official Defends Evolution Against 'Useless' Creationism
Friday, September 19, 2008
... Popes going back to the mid-20th century have "recognized the scientific value of the theory of biological evolution," Gennaro Auletta, who teaches philosophy of science at the Gregorian, told reporters. "Greater understanding and assimilation of such subject matter by clergy and faithful has been hoped for" ...
Monsignor Gianfranco Ravasi told reporters that: "One thing is sure. Evolution is not incompatible with faith."
"Creationism from a strictly theological view makes sense, but when it is used in scientific fields it becomes useless," Ravasi said.
Quoting the late Pope John Paul II, Ravasi said that "evolution can no longer be considered a hypothesis" ...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,424942,00.htmlVatican to host summit on Darwin’s theory
Thursday, 18th September 2008. 11:56am
By: Roberto Sanchez Guevara.
...
Biological Evolution, Facts and Theories. A critical appraisal 150 after "The Origin of Species" is the title that encompasses the five-day encounter which begins on March 3, 2009. Two Cambridge lecturers, the archaeologist Lord Renfrew, and the paleontologist Simon Conway Morris will join 48 speakers in the international line-up of scientists, theologians, philosophers who will debate faith and evolution at a Vatican-sponsored event in Rome.
Monsignor Gianfranco Ravasi said that On the Origin of the Species had never featured on the “index”, a list of books once banned by the Roman Catholic Church as it was considered that their contents could endanger the morals of believers ...
http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/news/?NewsID=2801