Pope Francis is wise enough to know that a belief in God doesn’t have to mean keeping your head in the sand regarding the Big Bang Theory and Evolution as many supposed “Christians” do here in the United States.
In fact, the Pope went so far as to say during an unveiling a bust in honor of Benedict, that God isn’t a magician, and its okay to believe in evolution. He said:
“God is not a demiurge [demigod] or a magician, but the Creator who gives being to all entities… Evolution in nature is not opposed to the notion of Creation, because evolution presupposes the creation of beings that evolve.”
It doesn’t seem that hard of a concept to grasp and understand, especially when all of science backs up evolution. Yet, people still refuse to believe it. However, it doesn’t really matter if a few people choose not to believe it, it’s a fact, and Pope Francis is acknowledging that fact.
This statement basically puts together two ideas. The fact that evolution is factually evident, but you can still believe in creation. The two ideas don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
It’s also just as hard to convince people who believe solely in evolution of this fact, because even if creationism is part of a belief structure, it is okay for people to believe it, as long as they don’t push in on society as a whole, and especially if they also believe in evolution.
Giovanni, Bignami, who is a professor and president of Italy’s Institute for Astrophysics was more than pleased to hear Pope Francis acknowledge both the Big Bang and the Theory of Evolution. He said:
“The pope’s statement is significant… We are the direct descendants from the Big Bang that created the universe. Evolution came from creation.”
These words from Pope Francis are just further proof that he is one of the most progressive Popes the Vatican has ever seen. He’s able to hold true to the teachings of the Bible and of Christ while also embracing the reality of scientific fact.