Pope Francis is quickly making waves as one of the most forward-thinking religious leaders of modern times. Now, the pope has taken his views one step further, by openly speaking about the theory of evolution, as well as the Big Bang. His take? Neither idea is "inconsistent with the notion of creation."
Speaking to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in Italy, the Pope tackled the subjects by stating that there is no contradiction between science and the belief in God.
"When we read about creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so," says Francis. "He created human beings and let them develop according to the internal laws that he gave to each one so they would reach their fulfillment."
Francis continued by stating that the world did not come out of chaos, but from love. He believes beliefs in creation and evolution can co-exist.
"God is not a divine being or a magician, but the Creator who brought everything to life," he says. "Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve."
Of course, the Catholic Church is no stranger to believing in evolution. Francis' predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, once referred to the debate in the U.S. over creation vs. evolution as "absurd."
However, in the U.S., such statements might turn off those who consider themselves Christians. In a 2014 Gallup poll, nearly 42 percent of Americans stated that they believed that God, and God alone, created the Universe only 10,000 years ago. Just 19 percent thought that humans evolved, but that God played a part in the process. Finally, 31 percent believed the Universe evolved without God. Nearly half of the Americans polled stated that evolution was inconsistent with their religious beliefs.
There has also been an ongoing debate about the teaching of evolution in American public schools, with many conservatives advocating for the religious concept of creationism to also be taught.
Giovanni Bignami, a professor of Italy's National Institute of Astrophysics called the Pope's statement "significant."
The Pope made his speech after a bust of the previous pope, Benedict, was unveiled.
