Bring back Benedict.
....and I am not Catholic, btw.
I’m not Catholic either but he also said there would be no big bang without God.
Perhaps he thinks that his job is to lead, not to merely echo what he considers to be the unenlightened beliefs of his followers.
“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.
Denying the omnipotence of God is heresy. This man does not speak as the Vicar of Christ. He is just another crazy Jesuit.
Does evolution claim that God created man? Because that is what this article quotes the Pope as saying.
Pope Pius XII said it was permissible for theologians to study it. He also stated that Adam was a real individual from which all men descend, and there were no men before him. He condemned polygenism, which is the opposite view. This is a very far cry from what is claimed in the article concerning Pius XII.
I was taught this as a child in the Catholic Church— Intelligent Design. I agree. Science and Religion are not opposite.
I don’t know which is worse, the slovenly, off-the-cuff way in which Francis casually spouts off heretical propositions or the foul glee of the enemies of the Church who lap it up.
Bring back Benedict indeed.
The Pope MUST distinguish as Pius XII did. There is no theoretical problem with having the human body develop from pre-existing species, and indeed one can see the concept anticipated in St. Augustine’s notions of seminal or potential creation which is only actualized through time.
But the soul is created immediately by God and *is not subject* to any kind of evolutionary change—and how could it be, since it’s not material?
I will add also that the Abbé Lemaitre, who first came up with the Big Bang theory BEGGED the Pope at the time not to push any link with Genesis. He was a good scientist with a theory and didn’t want the Church to fall with a theory that he knew might someday be proved wrong.
Totally agree with you but evolutionists real, it doesn’t contradict scripture and Christians should stop making this a theological issue!
“...the new Pope’s quasi-heretical claim “
Bump for later read...but this claim is the result of ignorance. The Church has never had a problem with evolution or the Big Bang or any specifically scientific claim. Calling for belief in standard science is the orthodox Catholic position. At least Francis is orthodox about something.
Creation ex nihilo = big bang
Try St Augustine, 1600 years ago, who said that Genesis is written the way it is as a condescension to our limited understanding.
That's the same St Augustine called "the doctor of grace" and "the first Protestant," BTW.
And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read in the Scriptures that God created them from the beginning and made them male and female.” (Matthew 19:4, Mark 10:6)
Jesus didn’t believe in evolution or the Big Bang and neither do Christians.
Since God is the Creator and we are His Creation, I just shrug my shoulders and think that "evolution", as we call it, could just one of the tools God uses.
We humans like to tinker around with things, and since we are created in His image, my guess is He likes to tinker around with things, too.
Humans have hobbies, maybe God does, too, and tinkering with and evolving stuff is one of them.
...That the Pope has a sense of humor should be refreshing to all of you...The unimaginable will forever escape your grasp which is why faith is so very important within your life.
Mankind can not unravel the fabric of Gods Work as this knowledge is not Mankind’s to hold. That there exists a breach between faith and the observed world is apparent , however, it is but a small thing.
Rejoice in knowing that peace and love are your gifts to ponder my friends and that your journey will be forever blessed...
I can’t decide if all this angst comes from the insistent twisting of Darwin’s original observations or the twisting of statements by the Pope or simply the mendacity of the Atheists to make excerpted assertions about both. I don’t think a one liner is going to get it.
Hey, it is like climate change, science fact! So... 
Fergetaboutit!
Had they made me Pope, when they had the chance... 
we'd all be not eating fish on Friday!
Gadzooks-- Don't pull me... 
into this!
I only go to Temple... 
to get change from the collection plate--
http://nationwideradiojm.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pope-francis.jpg
http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/nj1015.com/files/2013/03/Screen-Shot-2013-03-14-at-7.40.04-AM.png?w=600&h=0&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/robot-religion2_5081.png
Everybody knows that Catholics don't read the Bible literally, particularly the stuff in the Old Testament. We believe God created Heaven and Earth. That much is clearly stated in the Bible. The details, while cool, just don't matter that much to Catholics. I'm no physicist and to be honest, I don't care when exactly God breathed life into Man and gave us all souls. We know the body of the Man was created before he had a soul. For the life of me, I cannot understand why some Christians get so hung up on this stuff.
How long was a "day" to the writer of Genesis? Let the scientists figure that stuff out. The Pope's not a scientist, nor does he expect to be taken as one.