My mother went to parochial school and was taught organic evolution as the way our bodies came into existence.
I went to parochial school and was taught organic evolution as the way our bodies came into existence.
Our souls were given directly by God, but our bodies came as a result of organic evolution.
That has been a common Catholic belief since my mother was a child.
Apparently, you did not bother to read the link I kindly provided nor did you become familiar with the Catholic position before reacting.
I have read the ENTIRE statement in question several times and believe it or not the Pope is Catholic! He has been seriously misquoted by the press. The first thing that you have to realize is the title of the encyclical "TRUTH CANNOT CONTRADICT TRUTH". He is not praising evolution, he is condemning it. He starts: "rather than the theory of evolution, we should speak of several theories of evolution. On the one hand, this plurality has to do with the different explanations advanced for the mechanism of evolution, and on the other, with the various philosophies on which it is based. Hence the existence of materialist, reductionist and spiritualist interpretations. What is to be decided here is the true role of philosophy and, beyond it, of theology." Now, he really goes after Darwinian evolution: "man is "the only creature on earth that God has wanted for its own sake" (No. 24). In other terms, the human individual cannot be subordinated as a pure means or a pure instrument, either to the species or to society; he has value per se. He is a person. With his intellect and his will, he is capable of forming a relationship of communion, solidarity and self-giving with his peers."And now for the final kick at evolution:" " Consequently, theories of evolution which, in accordance with the philosophies inspiring them, consider the spirit as emerging from the forces of living matter or as a mere epiphenomenon of this matter, are incompatible with the truth about man. Nor are they able to ground the dignity of the person. " "
The whole encyclical can be found at: Encyclical
Evolution is materialistic beyond a doubt and the Pope is specifically warning against materialistic evolution.