[Just mythoughts]

Genesis 1:2 is the first reference to the first rebel. That world/age that WAS (IIPeter 3) was destroyed. Second reference to the willy serpent is Genesis 2:9 wherein the first rebel is called symbolically the ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’. So Francis is correct, the devil, that decided he would do things better is described on the very first page.

[GilesB]

Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

It is a great stretch to read “rebel” or satan into this passage - to the point of misreading, I believe.

What is the basis for interpreting the tree as satan? Your claim means God created satan and evil. Yet God looked upon His creation and saw that it was good - that could not have included evil...ergo satan was not fallen at that moment.

[daniel1212]

Genesis 1:2 is the first reference to the first rebel. That world/age that WAS (IIPeter 3) was destroyed

Sorry, but 2 Pt. 3 is in obvious reference to the Flood of Noah:

"Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:" (2 Peter 3:6; cf. 1Pt. 3:20)

The pope might have said or meant the beginning of the Bible, while i know of no official RC teaching that describes your interpretation. Not that Rome is the standard for Truth,