By ARIEL COHENISRAEL’S CHIEF Rabbis meet with the Pope in Jerusalem in May. (photo credit: REUTERS)
Pope Francis has debunked the long-held theory that creationism is the sole means of the origin of the earth, stating the theory and the scientific theory can work hand-in-hand.“When we read in Genesis the account of creation, we risk imagining God as a magus, with a magic wand able to make everything. But it is not so,” Francis said while discussing “evolving concepts of nature” while at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Monday.The Pope stated his belief that God created beings, and allowed them to develop in accordance to the internal laws set for them. By giving this autonomy to creatures, they grow within the confines of nature, while also under the dominion of God.Unlike animals, human beings have certain autonomy from nature, which allows them more freedom in their growth and development. The Pope thus concluded that God is not a wizard, but rather, serves as “the Creator who gives being to all things.”The Pope went on to state that the Big Bang theory and the theory of creationism do not contradict each other, but rather, complement each other.“The beginning of the world is not the work of chaos that owes its origin to another, but derives directly from a supreme origin that creates out of love,” Francis said. “The evolution of nature does not contrast with the notion of creation, as evolution presupposes the creation of beings that evolve.” Catholic teaching has previously endorsed the idea of evolution theories in accordance with theories of creationism.Pope Francis’s comments build on the ideas of other progressive Popes such as Pius XII and John Paul II, who both aimed to move the church away from its anti-scientific reputation that has marred it in the past.
