ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 9, 1996 TAG: 9611110007
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KEITH A. FOURNIER
IN HIS Oct. 30 column, ``The evolution of the pope,'' Cal Thomas stated that John Paul II has ``succumbed in his declining years to the tyranny of evolutionary scientists who claim we are related to monkeys.''
Thomas is a man of great integrity whom I have admired for many years. He has stood side by side with me in the common fight to defend life, liberty and family. However, as a Roman Catholic who is also considered a conservative, I cannot stand idly by and not respond to his commentary.
It is with all deference that I must write, on the subject of the pope's statement on evolution, that Thomas is dead wrong.
The pope's recent statement to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences insisted that theories on evolution are sound as long as they accept that creation was God's work. John Paul cautioned that the faithful must remain firm on two points: Creation itself is the work of God, and all human beings have another dimension beyond the physical.
Since I do not assume Thomas to be ignorant, his statement that ``many will be led to believe that science is God'' by the pope's comment must spring from his own misunderstandings of the Catholic Church and the role of the pope.
Thomas first misunderstands the Catholic interpretation of the Genesis account. The Catholic church has never viewed Genesis as a scientific textbook. Whatever theory is advanced to explain evolution, that such a process underlies the emergence of existing species and organisms presents no challenge to the Catholic understanding of the doctrine of creation. The doctrine of creation affirms that God brought all things into existence.
Since at least the time of St. Augustine of Hippo (circa fourth century), the Genesis account of the process of creation has been recognized to be largely symbolic. There is no reason why God could not have employed some natural evolutionary process in the forming of species, even if this process appears to scientific observation to be largely random in its activity.
Christians can also accept the view that the material conditions for the emergence of the human species may have developed by evolution, as long as the immediate creation of each human soul by God is affirmed. Put simply, John Paul II expressed nothing new to Catholics in his recent statement.
Thomas misunderstands the role of the pope as pastor and teacher, and exactly when he speaks infallibly and when he does not. The pope speaks infallibly when he speaks ex cathedra (Latin for ``from the chair''). The expression highlights the four conditions under which infallible definitions of church dogma can be taught by the pope:
* Not as a private theologian, but as the supreme pastor and teacher of all Christians.
* In virtue of his apostolic authority as the successor of Peter.
* In matters of faith or morals.
* Proposing something to be held by the universal church.
In making his statement on evolution, John Paul II never intended to comply with any of these requirements, and did not speak infallibly. He did not say evolution must be held as a tenet of the Christian church. He simply stated that evolution was not inconsistent with the church's teaching on the account of creation.
For Thomas to state that the pope ``embraces the philosophy which stands at the core of communism'' is intellectually shallow, inaccurate - and even if unintended - anti-Catholic.
As we approach the third millennium of Christianity, we must encourage each other to become better informed about the theology of other Christian confessions. We need to create an atmosphere of unity in which the worst one Christian could say of another is: ``He could have stated his position better.''
Thomas' misstatement of John Paul II is endemic of our current culture. He is busy airing theological disagreements in editorial columns in an age when we need a unified voice among Christians.
Keith A. Fournier is the executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice, based in Virginia Beach, and a permanent deacon in the Roman Catholic Church.
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