That is not an infallible papal or magisterial proclamation. It is simply a “current” position of Rome. Subject to change. Simply man’s opinion
Joan Acker H.M., a Humility of Mary sister who has just completed 50 years as an educator..
The jubilee year dawned with the publication of the second U. S. edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Regrettably it continues to treat early Genesis accounts in a Tridentine fundamentalist light, completely avoiding any references to modern biblical exegesis or evolution. Its failure to engage todays religious/scientific culture adequately is an embarrassment both rationally and spiritually. It plays into the hands of scientific creationists and has dangerous ramifications for the future of both science and religion. A uniquely American phenomenon, creation science is bent upon artificially imposing scientific expectations upon the ancient biblical text. Seventy-five years after the Scopes trial in Tennessee, the conflict between creationists and evolution continues in surprisingly innovative ways. Fundamentalism represents anxiety and religious rage over secularizing trends often inaccurately directed against post-Darwinian science. With its simplistic anti-evolution creed, creationism wages a campaign that must not be ignored...
In order to offset creeping fundamentalism, it would be helpful for the new U.S. adult catechism to refresh the faithful about our rescue from biblical literalism by Pius XIIs 1943 encyclical letter Divino Afflante Spiritu, which encouraged scholars to study Scripture in a historical and scientifically critical manner. An American catechism could lead by highlighting the Second Vatican Councils continuing stress on historical critical methods of exegesis in the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation. Reporting John Paul IIs recognition in 1996 that evolution is more than just a hypothesis would be an important assurance that evolution is a concept loyal Catholics can safely embrace and study. In fact, the latest theology reveals evolution as magnificently unveiling a biblical God of promise who hides divine power to let creation develop on its own built-in terms.
- http://americamagazine.org/issue/392/article/creationism-and-catechism