--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This was borne out again in October 1996…" description: "\"“This was borne out again in October 1996 when Pope John Paul II, standing in the context of a train of Catholic thought which stretched back to the Ch..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a3/mark-shea-86645_biological-evolution_this-was-borne-out-again-in-october-1996_2906849.jpg" --- # This was borne out again in October 1996 when Pope John… ![“This was borne out again in October 1996 when Pope John Paul II, standing in the context of a train of Catholic thought which stretched back to the Church Fathers said, in essence, "Looks like there's some good evidence for some sort of biological evolution."[22] That is, he said, as so many…” quote by Mark Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a3/mark-shea-86645_biological-evolution_this-was-borne-out-again-in-october-1996_2906849.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a3/mark-shea-86645_biological-evolution_this-was-borne-out-again-in-october-1996_2906849.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a3/mark-shea-86645_biological-evolution_this-was-borne-out-again-in-october-1996_2906849.jpg) > ““This was borne out again in October 1996 when Pope John Paul II, standing in the context of a train of Catholic thought which stretched back to the Church Fathers said, in essence, "Looks like there's some good evidence for some sort of biological evolution."\[22\] That is, he said, as so many Catholics have already said, that there is nothing in divine revelation that particularly forbids you to believe that God made Adam from the dust of the earth r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w-l-y rather than instantaneously (and used other creatures to somehow assist in the process) so long as you bear in mind that God did, in fact, create man and woman (particularly the soul, which is made directly by God and is not a result of the collision of atoms). --Making Senses of Scripture”” [Mark Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shea/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pope John Paul II acknowledged that Catholic teaching does not forbid belief in evolution, while affirming divine creation of the soul. **In simple terms:** Catholic view allows evolution with divine soul creation. Key Takeaway Accept scientific evidence alongside faith. Themes faith science theology Mood thoughtful respectful Type theological interpretive When to use this quote - religious education - personal belief - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts evolution divine creation Catholic doctrine Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile scientific findings with spiritual beliefs? - What role does the soul play in this reconciliation? A Different Perspective Some may argue this view dilutes traditional doctrine. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biological evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biological-evolution/) [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Catholic church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic-church/) [Catholic Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic-thought-1958368/) [Catholicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholicism/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Church fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-fathers/) [Divine revelation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-revelation/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Evolution 22](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution-22-4163747/) [God Adam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-adam-666386/) [John paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-paul/) [Man and woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-and-woman/) [Pope John Paul Ii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pope-john-paul-ii/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [It is a dogma of the Roman Church that the existence of God can be proved by natural reason. Now this dogma would make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/it-is-a-dogma-of-the-roman-church-that-the-existence-of-god-can-be/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [“If the attitude of many non-Catholic modern philosophers toward Catholic thought could be summarized in a single sentence, it would be: It has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-b-sadler/if-the-attitude-of-many-non-catholic-modern-philosophers-toward/) [Gregory B. Sadler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-b-sadler/) > [And I, the former mystic, was thinking: Yes, man is stronger, greater than God. When Adam and Eve deceived You, You chased them from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/and-i-the-former-mystic-was-thinking-yes-man-is-stronger-greater-than/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [If God made Adam and Eve, they had children... wait a minute... that means someone banged their sister!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-mencia/if-god-made-adam-and-eve-they-had-children-wait-a-minute-that-means/) [Carlos Mencia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-mencia/) > [“In man’s original mind there were no lines of distinction between good and bad, or sacred and secular. God was all in all, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-turner/in-man-s-original-mind-there-were-no-lines-of-distinction-between/) [Jeff Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-turner/) > [Do you not know that you are Eve? The judgment of God upon this sex lives on in this age; therefore, necessarily the guilt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tertullian/do-you-not-know-that-you-are-eve-the-judgment-of-god-upon-this-sex/) [Tertullian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tertullian/) > [Mars and Venus and Jupiter, all of the handiwork of God was now placed in the authority of the God of the earth. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/creflo-a-dollar/mars-and-venus-and-jupiter-all-of-the-handiwork-of-god-was-now-placed/) [Creflo A. Dollar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/creflo-a-dollar/) > [If homosexuality was the normal way, God would have made Adam and Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-bryant/if-homosexuality-was-the-normal-way-god-would-have-made-adam-and-bruce/) [Anita Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-bryant/) > [“Why does God not declare himself as the God of Adam? For we know that Abraham sinned even as Adam did. Why then did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/why-does-god-not-declare-himself-as-the-god-of-adam-for-we-know-that/) [Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/) > [No one warns young people to follow Adam's example. He waited till God saw his need. Then God made Adam sleep, prepared for his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-elliot/no-one-warns-young-people-to-follow-adam-s-example-he-waited-till-god-2/) [Jim Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-elliot/) > [In my mind God made Adam and Eve, he didn't make Adam and Steve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/in-my-mind-god-made-adam-and-eve-he-didn-t-make-adam-and-steve/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [He was not subordinate to God - Adam was walking as a god! What he said "went," what he did "counted"; and when he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-copeland/he-was-not-subordinate-to-god-adam-was-walking-as-a-god-what-he-said/) [Kenneth Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-copeland/) > [No one warns young people to follow Adam's example. He waited till God saw his need. Then God made Adam sleep, prepared for his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-elliot/no-one-warns-young-people-to-follow-adam-s-example-he-waited-till-god/) [Jim Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-elliot/) > [“In the beginning there was God...but for me there was Adam.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tosca-lee/in-the-beginning-there-was-god-but-for-me-there-was-adam/) [Tosca Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tosca-lee/) > [“because of Adam’s sin, but because of our own sin. However, because all of mankind fell away from the grace of God through Adam’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-of-adam-s-sin-but-because-of-our-own-sin-however-because-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Mark Shea > [“It will not, however, affect one tiny bit the question of whether the text has a literal meaning because—mark this—every biblical text has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shea/it-will-not-however-affect-one-tiny-bit-the-question-of-whether-the/) [Mark Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shea/) > [“The literal sense of the author was "creation is the orderly act of a loving Creator God." What the modern reader often hears, however,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shea/the-literal-sense-of-the-author-was-creation-is-the-orderly-act-of-a/) [Mark Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shea/) [Explore all 3 Mark Shea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shea/) ## More Biological evolution quotes > [The most devastating thing though that biology did to Christianity was the discovery of biological evolution. Now that we know that Adam and Eve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zindler/the-most-devastating-thing-though-that-biology-did-to-christianity/) [Frank Zindler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zindler/) > [I am of course getting angry if biologists try to use the general concept 'chance' in order to explain phenomena which are so typical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-paul/i-am-of-course-getting-angry-if-biologists-try-to-use-the-general/) [Wolfgang Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-paul/) > [I seem to be a brief light that flashes but once in all the aeons of time a rare, complicated, and all-too-delicate organism on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/i-seem-to-be-a-brief-light-that-flashes-but-once-in-all-the-aeons-of/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [The Singularity denotes an event that will take place in the material world, the inevitable next step in the evolutionary process that started with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/the-singularity-denotes-an-event-that-will-take-place-in-the-material/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [My colleague Sen. Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania Republican, erroneously suggested that I support the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to biological evolution. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/my-colleague-sen-rick-santorum-pennsylvania-republican-erroneously/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [Evolution explains our biological evolution, but human beings are very unique creatures. As the Dobzhansky said, all animals are unique; humans are the uniquest.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/evolution-explains-our-biological-evolution-but-human-beings-are-very/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [We are the product of 4.5 billion years of fortuitous, slow biological evolution. There is no reason to think that the evolutionary process has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-are-the-product-of-4-5-billion-years-of-fortuitous-slow-biological/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“There is a Divine Providence operating over and above the materialistic happenings of biological evolution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-eccles/there-is-a-divine-providence-operating-over-and-above-the/) [John C. Eccles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-eccles/) > [“Evolution is largely a temporal phenomenon, Merrill. The environment changes, and populations in that environment change in turn, or they languish. Individual organisms don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-marusek/evolution-is-largely-a-temporal-phenomenon-merrill-the-environment/) [David Marusek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-marusek/) > [Now, humans have become a dominant force of planetary change and, thus, we may have entered an eon of post-biological evolution in which cognitive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grinspoon/now-humans-have-become-a-dominant-force-of-planetary-change-and-thus/) [David Grinspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grinspoon/) > [“To compare the rate of progress of the biological evolution of intelligence to that of technological evolution, consider that the most advanced mammals have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/to-compare-the-rate-of-progress-of-the-biological-evolution-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [In the broadest sense, evolution is merely change, and so is all-pervasive; galaxies, languages, and political systems all evolve. Biological evolution ... is change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-j-futuyma/in-the-broadest-sense-evolution-is-merely-change-and-so-is-all/) [Douglas J. Futuyma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-j-futuyma/) > [Ironically, we have even fewer examples of evolutionary transitions than we had in Darwin's time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-m-raup/ironically-we-have-even-fewer-examples-of-evolutionary-transitions/) [David M. Raup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-m-raup/) > [Evolution has just been dealt its death blow. After reading Origins of Life with my background in chemistry and physics, it is clear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-smalley/evolution-has-just-been-dealt-its-death-blow-after-reading-origins-of/) [Richard Smalley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-smalley/) > [It is essential for evolution to become the central core of any educational system, because it is evolution, in the broad sense, that links…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-huxley/it-is-essential-for-evolution-to-become-the-central-core-of-any/) [Julian Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-huxley/) [Browse all 32 Biological evolution quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biological-evolution/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This was borne out again in October 1996 when Pope John Paul II, standing in the context of a train of Catholic thought which stretched back to the Church Fathers said, in essence, \"Looks like there's some good evidence for some sort of biological evolution.\"[22] That is, he said, as so many Catholics have already said, that there is nothing in divine revelation that particularly forbids you to believe that God made Adam from the dust of the earth r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w-l-y rather than instantaneously (and used other creatures to somehow assist in the process) so long as you bear in mind that God did, in fact, create man and woman (particularly the soul, which is made directly by God and is not a result of the collision of atoms). --Making Senses of Scripture”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark Shea" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shea/this-was-borne-out-again-in-october-1996-when-pope-john-paul-ii/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Biological evolution" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shea/this-was-borne-out-again-in-october-1996-when-pope-john-paul-ii/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a3/mark-shea-86645_biological-evolution_this-was-borne-out-again-in-october-1996_2906849.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a3/mark-shea-86645_biological-evolution_this-was-borne-out-again-in-october-1996_2906849.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a3/mark-shea-86645_biological-evolution_this-was-borne-out-again-in-october-1996_2906849.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This was borne out again in October 1996 when Pope John Paul II, standing in the context of a train of…” — Mark Shea", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mark Shea", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shea/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“This was borne out again in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shea/this-was-borne-out-again-in-october-1996-when-pope-john-paul-ii/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shea/this-was-borne-out-again-in-october-1996-when-pope-john-paul-ii/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```