Category Archives: Commentary

The Vatican Information Service reports on Pope Benedict’s November 21st general audience:

“A correct relationship between science and faith is also based on this fruitful interaction between comprehension and belief. Scientific research leads to the knowledge of new truths regarding mankind and the cosmos. The true good of mankind, accessible through faith, indicates the direction his path of discovery must follow. Therefore, it is important to encourage, for example, research which serves life and seeks to combat disease. Investigations into the secrets of our planet and the universe are also important for this reason, in the knowledge that man is placed at the peak of creation, not not in order exploit it senselessly, but rather to protect it and render it inhabitable.

“In this way, faith does not enter into conflict with science but co-operates with it, offering fundamental criteria to ensure it promotes universal good, and asking only that science desist from those initiatives that, in opposition to God’s original plan, may produce effects which turn against man himself. Another reason for which it is rational to believe is this: if science is a valuable ally of faith in our understanding of God’s plan for the universe, faith also directs scientific progress towards the good and truth of mankind, remaining faithful to that original plan.”

Read here.

The Catholic Education Resource Center posts this excerpt from Christopher Kaczor’s new book The Seven Big Myths About the Catholic Church.

“The Church Opposes Science: The Myth of Catholic Irrationality”

At this point, we are in a position to come to a prima facie judgment about the question of whether the Church opposes science.  On the one hand, we have the many Catholic scientists of distinction, from the beginning of the use of the scientific method until now, who argue that there is no conflict between their faith and their pursuit of science.  We have the institutional Church sponsoring scientific endeavors of all kinds, at Catholic universities around the world, in the construction of cathedrals, and at the Vatican itself.  We also have the explicit Catholic teaching that faith and reason are not opposed but rather complementary, and that scientific reasoning and faith are mutually enriching.  On the other hand, we have the trial and condemnation of Galileo.  The Galileo case appears, against the larger background of Catholic teaching and practice, as an unfortunate aberration from the norm.  However, both Galileo himself — who remained a faithful Catholic all his life — and those involved in his trial, such as Saint Robert Bellarmine, agreed that there can never be a true conflict between science and faith.  Apparent but not real conflicts can arise through a mistaken interpretation of faith (as was made by those who condemned Galileo), a misunderstanding of science (e.g., that science requires denying miracles), or both.  It is therefore a myth — albeit a persistent myth — that the Church opposes science.

Read the rest here.