The Genesis Account

Before we look at the genesis account of creation, some fundamental distinction may be
made here.

Fundamental Distinctions.
When we talk of creation, two types of creation account come into mind: Historical
account of Creation. This is viewing creation as a past fact, a historical fact. To the
minds of many, if the world was created at all, it was created in the past, and God’s
work of creating it, is now over and done. On the other hand, there is the metaphysical
account of creation. In this sense, God is said to create the world. He creates the world.
That is to say God gives being to contingent things. To create in this sense, is to cause
or produce the being (esse) of things (Summa Theologiae 1.45.6). To be a Creature is
to depend on God for the very act of existence. Creation is a kind of emanation from
God of everything other than God, and this emanation is a present reality. St Thomas
Aquinas subscribes to this understanding of creation.1

An analogy can help us to understand this claim. Just as the sun, shining in the sky
illuminates the atmosphere, so, God gives being to everything other than God. The
analogy illustrates two crucial points. First, just as on a sunny day the sun
is now causing the atmosphere to be illuminated, so God is now causing contingent
beings to be, here and now. Second, just as on a sunny day the illuminated atmosphere
is now dependent on the sun for its illumination, so contingent beings
are now depending on God for their very being. The relation of a creature as a creature
to the Creator as Creator, is thus primarily in the present and not in the past, and also
primarily vertical and not horizontal. So long as God now gives being to contingent
things, and so long as contingent things have this present vertical dependency on God
for their very existence, then God creates them and they are God’s creation. As St Paul
will tell the Athenians: For ‘In him, we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

In discussing creation generally but especially from the point of view of Genesis
account, certain fundamental distinctions and clarifications should be made.

St Thomas Aquinas made some fundamental distinctions between “the Origin of the
universe and “beginning of the universe”. This is quite insightful. These are two key
concepts that should be carefully noted.

“The Origin” of the Universe is different from” the Beginning” of the Universe.

Beginning refers to a temporal event, what began in time, while Origin has to do with the
source. In fact, Creation is the account of the Origin, the source of existence of the
universe.2 It is in this understanding that Cardinal Ratzinger makes this remark:

1
William [Link], Creation and Science, Has Science eliminated God? ; CTS publication, London,2011, p.23
2
William E. Carroll; Creation and Science, Has Science eliminated God?, CTS publications, London,2011, p.27.

1
“ the theory of evolution seeks to understand and describe biological
developments. But in so doing it cannot explain where the 'project' of human
persons comes from, nor their inner origin, nor their particular nature. To that
extent we are faced here with two complementary—rather than mutually exclusive
—realities”.3

When we look at all these competing theories mentioned in this discussion, whether it is
the evolution from the point of view of Darwin ; Pierre De Chardin, or George Lemaitre’s
Big Bang theory, these are not really theories of origins or theories of ultimate source of
existence, but are all more of theories of change and/or development.
For St Thomas: “creatio non est mutatio” creation is not change.
Creation is the radical causing of the whole existence of whatever exists. Creation is
not a change. To cause completely something to exist is not to produce a change in
something. It is not to work on, or work with some existing material. When God‘s
creative act is said to be “ex nihillo”, “out of nothing”, it means that God does not use
anything in creating all that is. This does not mean that there is a change from nothing
to something4. /

The Genesis Account.

In our Creed, we profess that: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, the Maker of
heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible”. This article of faith is rooted in the
Bible. The opening pages of Genesis give us two stories of creation. The first from the
priestly tradition (Gen 1:1-2:4a) uses the seven-day scheme to describe how God brings
everything into existence by the power of God’s word. The creation of the man and the
woman on the 6th day represents the summit of God’s creative act. On the 7th day (the
Sabbath) God is said to rest to indicate that the whole creation is destined for the
glorification of God.

The second older account from the Yahwistic source (2:4b-25) contains a colorful story
of God’s creation of the man from clay and the woman from the man’s rib and focuses
on their activity at the garden of Eden.

The Biblical faith of Israel.

Faith in God the Savior

Israel faith in God was not originally a faith in God the Creator. Israel’s faith in God as
Creator was a later development in a stage her history..

3
John Allen, Benedict’s thinking on Creation and Evolution; National Catholic Reporter; www/ncr
[Link]/blogs/allthings-catholic/benedict-thinking-creation- evolution
4
William [Link], Creation and Science, CTS, London, pp 22-24.

2
Israel did not come to know God first in the wonder or in the order of nature, but she
came to know God first in his saving actions in their history. It was because God could
exercise such obvious mastery over events and course of history as he displayed in his
saving actions for Israel that as time went on, Israel came to see that he exercised a
similar, but wider mastery over the whole of nature.

Israel’s faith in God was primarily a belief that he who did all these things for them was
their God. This God of Israel had showed through his saving activity that he was master
of the universe and its forces. Gradually, the way was being prepared for the explicit
belief that the God who was the master of the forces of nature and the events of history
is also the Creator of the whole universe in which all those forces and events of history
were at play. So, we see, gradually belief in God the Creator became explicit in their
consciousness. In other words, Israel’s belief in God the Saviour, developed into God
the Creator.

Israel’s God made use of elements – sun rain, dew, thunder, lightning wind etc. to bring
about his purposeful plan in history.

This God could give riches, multiply flocks, divide the Red Sea waters, rain down
manna on his people in the desert and give them water from the rock to drink.

.The opening of Genesis is not the earliest text in the Bible. It received its final
written form only during the period of Babylonian exile of the Jewish people. The
Prophets of Israel remind the Jews, in the midst of their pessimism that their God
is not like other gods. The God who made covenant with Abraham and who
brought his people out of Egypt is the Creator of all that is

The full formulation and expression of that faith developed out of her faith in God the
Savour. It is a faith in God who personally freely and lovingly intervened in their history
as his chosen people. This is depicted in their exodus experience.

Israel’s original profession of faith was:

A wondering Aramean was my father; and he went down into Egypt and
sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty and
populous. And the Egyptians treated us harshly, and afflicted us, and laid upon
us hard bondage. Then we cried to the Lord the God of our fathers, and the Lord
heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil and our oppression; and the Lord
brought us out of Egypt with mighty hand and an out stretched arm, with great
terror, with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us
this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. (Dt.26.5-9)

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The Prophet Jeremiah of the 7th century still understood God’s power not within the
context of creation but as an act of God the Savior, who takes part in Israel’s history.

“It is by my power and my outstretched arm that I have made the earth, with the
men and animals that are on the earth……..” (Jer.27.5f).

Creation in the faith of Israel is not considered outside the context of God’s relationship
with his people Israel.

1. Faith in God the Creator.

The writings of Isaiah saw a decisive breakthrough in the understanding of Israel’s faith
in God as Creator. That is in what we call Deutero-Isaiah or second Isaiah or the Book
of Consolation. This include: Is. 40-55.

This oracle came as consolation to the Jews during the difficult period of captivity in
Babylonia, surrounded by cult of alien deities; nostalgia for home; for the worship of
their God.

It was under the pressure of exile, difficulty, that Israel began to see clearly that the God
who in the past had saved them from Egyptian captivity who they are hoping will save
them from the present Babylonian captivity had a universal saving function with regard
to the whole universe.

- This God surpassed the weird divinities of Babylon.

- He originally saved the universe out of chaos- He created the universe by an act
of masterful, victorious power.

- The creative act of Israel’s God must have been the first of all his intervention in
history.

- Israel’s God began all history with his fiat and it is his saving purpose which
alone gives sense and meaning to history.

- In the midst of the difficulty of her exile, Israel sought for the meaning of its
history and found it in the God who created all things and who controlled all
events and who must also have the power to fulfil once again his loving purpose
towards his chosen people.

- The consolation of Israel lies in the utter faithfulness of Israel’s God, who first
selected and formed Israel to be his servant. Israel’s God cannot forget his
people, He will forgive their shortcomings, redeem them from their sins. The past
events of her history will be reenacted for their benefit. There will be a new
Exodus, like the great Exodus from Egypt. There will be a new covenant of peace
4
 as in the days of Noah; a new start for the people as in the days of Abraham; a
renewal of God’s relationship of love for David. There will even be a new creation
in favour of Israel. Present distress will pass. For Israel God is above all nations,
above their rulers and above their gods.

- Even King Cyrus who is Israel’s overlord is no more than a tool of God’s
purposes. God is unsurpassable in wisdom, in strength. He is incomparable. He
will give victory to Israel, and through Israel reveal his salvation to the ends of the
earth.

“Remember the things long past. I am God unrivalled. God who has no like, from
the beginning foretold the future, and predicted beforehand what is to be…”
(Is.46.9-11) ref. also Is 43.10-13.

There is no other God than the God of Israel. Israel’s God alone exists and has power
to act.

He is the one and only God from beginning to the end. “I am God, and there is no other.
(Is 46.9-11).

The account in Genesis is a kind expression of the faith of Israel. It is not a scientific
description, nor is it a chronological story of the beginning of the world. It is a rather a
statement of the belief that everything that exists, exist and every event that occurs,
occurs because God knows and wills its existence or occurrence. It was Israel’s way of
declaring the overall mastery of the God who was her Savior. The placing of the two
accounts that are really disparate in age in their present position at the beginning of the
Scriptures was Israel’s way of expressing her new-found faith in God the Creator. At the
same time for asserting that creation must have been God’s first intervention in the
affairs of the world.

Both accounts employ mythologies to convey important truths of faith namely that God
is the Lord not only of Israel but of other people and of the whole universe. The world is
essentially good and is utterly dependent upon God. The world is created out of nothing
and not out of preexisting matter; human beings are created in God’s image and
likeness. They exercise dominion over the world and also bear responsibility toward it.
Finally, Man must praise and put his trust in God because of God’s creative act.

The opening pages of Genesis give us two stories of creation. The first from the
priestly tradition (Gen 1:1-2:4a) uses the seven-day scheme to describe how God
brings everything into existence by the power of God’s word. The second older account
from the Yahwistic source (2:4b-25) contains a colorful story of God’s creation of the
man from clay and the woman from the man’s rib and focuses on their activity at the
garden of Eden.

5
The Genesis story is an account from chaos to cosmos.

The creation story begins with, “In the beginning, God created heaven and earth”.
Without any exertion, or gods to fight off, God simply spoke, and there was, bang; the
entire universe, space , time, galaxies, solar systems, planets etc. molecules, subatomic
particles, - all of it burst into existence out of nothing. This is what is called power.
As big as the vast as the creation may appear to us, in reality, it is just not big enough to
fit the infinite Creator.
The earth was without form and void (Gen1:2) “tohu wabohu” The earth was
characterized by formlessness and emptiness. The preceding verse, heaven and earth
point to spiritual and material realms. The first point immaterial realm that is occupied by
pure spirits, heavenly hosts, angels, while the second, points to the earthly habitat that
God made for humanity
According to his power, God transforms and plans the earth from chaos to cosmos.

The creation account seems to follow a very orderly format

Day 1, God called forth light and divided light from darkness to make day and night.
That is how earthly time was formed
Day 2, God made the skies and the seas by separating the waters above and below.
That is how earthly space was formed
Day 3. God created land and vegetation. That is how earthly life began. The three basic
conditions for earthly existence were now complete: time, space, and life. Likewise, the
three essential elements for human existence were also in place: light, water, and food.
Three realm are now in need of rulers
Day 4. God made the sun, moon and stars calling them to rule over the day and over
the night. The temporal already formed on day 1
Day 5 God made the fish and birds calling them to fill the skies and the seas
In order to fill the special realm which God made in day 2,
Day 6 God created animals and man, calling them to rule the land and vegetation that is
biotic realm that God had formed in day 3

What is last in execution is first in intention.

Then God said: Let us make man in our image and likeness… So God created man in
his image, in the image of God, he created him male and female he created them (Gen
1:26-2)
The account of the six days of creation, the divine command and God’s rest on the
seventh day was never intended to be read like a scientific textbook. Rather the
passage uses figurative language and poetic devices to communicate its beautiful
message about creation and God’s plan for human family.

Other ancient near-eastern cultures around Israel had their own stories about how the
world came into existence and how human beings were created. But Israel story stands
out for its emphasis on monotheism – the belief in only one God.

6
The pagan nations around Israel believed in multiple deities, many of whom were
associated with the things of the world. They worshiped the sun, moon, and stars; the
sea monsters were powerful deities and other pagan gods were associated with images
of various animals.

For Gen 1, therefore to proclaim that Israel’s God is the one true God who created the
sun, moon, stars, sea creatures and all animals would have been a countercultural and
subversive message. Genesis would be highlighting how the very gods that the pagans
worship are actually not deities at all but merely creatures of Israel’s God, and the one
and only true God.

Both accounts employ mythologies to convey important truths of faith namely that God
is the Lord not only of Israel but of other people and of the whole universe. The world is
essentially good and is utterly dependent upon God. The world is created out of nothing
and not out of preexisting matter; human beings are created in God’s image and
likeness. They exercise dominion over the world and also bear responsibility toward it.
Finally, Man must praise and put his trust in God because of God’s creative act.

According to his power, God transforms and plans the earth from chaos to cosmos.

Man, who was last in execution, was indeed the first in intention.
Then God said: “Let us make man in our image and likeness… So, God created man in
his image”, in the image of God, he created him male and female.
Human nature possesses three essential qualities: the sanctity of human life; the dignity
of human labour and the sacredness family love.

By this reason of intention “Let u make man in our own image and likeness” :(Gen 1:26-
2), human life possesses great sacredness even as unborn and aged, the physically
infirm and even mentally impaired. Every person has this awesome and immeasurable
dignity because each human is made in God’s image. Even those who sin or commit
some heinous crime remains cloaked in this dignity

God intentionally makes human beings male and female. Eve is fashioned from Adam's
rib to assert the equal humanity of men and women. it discloses that human beings
achieve their full humanity through complementary relationships that actualize the
potentialities of man as husband and father, and woman as wife and mother. The crown
of creation.5

Man is mandated, to work not just for sustenance but to express his humanity. Work
becomes an essential aspect of man. There is dignity in labour, because by labour man
expresses his humanity. “We were created with a vocation to work. The goal should not
be that technological progress increasingly replace human work, for this would be

5
Elias Carr; A Catholic Theological Perspective on Evolution and Intelligent Design, in University of St Thomas
Journal of Law and Public Policy, 2009,

7
detrimental to humanity. Work is a necessity. It is part of the meaning of life on this
earth, a path to growth, human development and personal fulfillment.6

God also authorized humans to subdue the earth. In other words, human beings have
the duty to use creatively and imaginatively the goods of creation to humanize the
world. Thus, within this command is the call to create culture. This dominion, however,
does not permit human beings to exploit one another.
The essential goodness of creation requires the human race to engage in responsible
use of earthly goods, which exist to serve the entire human race and not merely
privileged minorities.7 Indeed, the seventh day, the Sabbath, alludes to God's will that
the human race should recall through worship that everything comes from him.
Consequently, every creature should have an opportunity to pause from work and
savour life on a day for rest and recreation. The Sabbath exists as the first biblical
admonition against a dominion over the earth that leads to idolatry and injustice. On this
day, the human race remembers that every good thing comes from God.
Other ancient near-eastern cultures around Israel had their own stories about how the
world came into existence and how human beings were created. But Israel story stands
out for its emphasis on monotheism – the belief in only one God.

The pagan nations around Israel believed in multiple deities, many of whom were
associated with the things of the world. They worshiped the sun, moon, and stars; the
sea monsters were powerful deities and other pagan gods were associated with images
of various animals.8

The genesis account has no scientific aim. It is rather a highly elaborate expression of
Israel’s faith in a God who has continually saved her and who will save her in the future
in virtue of his original and easy mastery over everything that exists as Creator
It is an expression of faith made in opposition to current trends of thought, yet
dependent on contemporary world-picture.

The Church and the theory of Evolution.

The papal magisterium has engaged the theory of evolution cautiously, and books of
Catholic authors discussing evolutionary themes have been treated hesitantly, may be
to avoid the Galileo saga. 18
1. Pope Pius X11
6
Pope Francis, Laudato si
7

8
Typical examples are the Mesopotamian epic (Creation Myth); Enuma Ellish.
8
For nearly a century, the papacy offered no authoritative pronouncement on
Darwin's theories.
Pope Pius X11, broke the ice in the 1950 Encyclical Humani generis .
The Encyclical has two purposes: to correct certain extreme opinions held in some
Christian Catholic circles; “Nouvelle theologie” or neo-Modernism”: Some of them
include : Evolutionism, existentialism historicism etc. and to restate those traditional
Catholic teachings relative to the direction in which the post war theological revival was
[Link], he addresses the questions posed by the theory of evolution to the
Catholic faith. For him, there is no intrinsic conflict between Christianity and the
theory of evolution. He leaves open the possibility that evolution might contribute to
an explanation for the origin and development of life, even the human body.
However, the human soul cannot be a product of purely material forces but a direct
creation of God.
Humani Generis, does not accept a comprehensive belief in evolution nor does it reject
it. However, there is need for more scientific evidence in other to allow it totally. It
recommends more study undertaken with caution.
Second, he rejects polygenism, namely, that the human race has more than one set
of first parents, because, it is inconsistent with the doctrine of original sin.
Finally, he urged researchers, philosophers, and theologians to conduct their
considerations with gravity, moderation, and caution and to avoid hasty conclusions
based on insufficient reflection on the meaning of evidence.
Today, the Church supports theistic evolution(ism), also known as evolutionary
creation, [2] although Catholics are free not to believe in any part of evolutionary
theory
2. Pope John Paul 11
In an October 22, 1996, address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Pope John
Paul II updated the Church's position to accept evolution of the human body:
Today, according to him, “more than a half-century after the appearance of that
encyclical,(Humane Generis) some new findings lead us toward the recognition of
evolution as more than a hypothesis. In fact, it is remarkable that this theory has had
progressively greater influence on the spirit of researchers, following a series of

9
discoveries in different scholarly disciplines. The convergence in the results of these
independent studies—which was neither planned nor sought—constitutes in itself a
significant argument in favor of the theory.
In the same address, Pope John Paul II rejected any theory of evolution that
provides a materialistic explanation for the human soul:
“Theories of evolution which, because of the philosophies which inspire them, regard
the spirit either as emerging from the forces of living matter, or as a simple
epiphenomenon of that matter, are incompatible with the truth about man”. 19

Pope Benedict XV1

The Church has deferred to scientists on matters such as the age of the earth and
the authenticity of the fossil record. Papal pronouncements, along with
commentaries by cardinals, have accepted the findings of scientists on
the gradual appearance of life. In fact, the International Theological Commission in a
July 2004 statement endorsed by Cardinal Ratzinger, then president of the
Commission and head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, later Pope
Benedict XVI, now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, includes this paragraph:
Accepted that the universe as we know it, may have erupted in an explosion called
“Big Bang” about 15 billion years ago. and has been expanding and cooling ever
since. Later there gradually emerged the conditions necessary for the formation
of atoms, and about 10 billion years later the formation of planets, in our own solar
system and on earth (formed about 4.5 billion years ago), the conditions have been
favorable to the emergence of life.
Even though there is little consensus among scientists about how the origin of this
first microscopic life is to be explained, there is however, a general agreement
among them that the first organism dwelt on this planet about 3.5–4 billion years

ago. Since it has been demonstrated that all living organisms on earth

10
are genetically related, it is virtually certain that all living organisms have descended
from this first organism. Converging evidence from many studies in the physical and
biological sciences furnishes mounting support for some theory of evolution to
account for the development and diversification of life on earth, while controversy
continues over the pace and mechanisms of evolution.
He is inclined to believe that: “evolution had a rationality [in natural selection that]
inevitably leads to a question that goes beyond science,” asking “where did this
rationality come from?” The pope credits God with injecting such “rationality” into the
mechanism of evolution. “Evolution in the sense of common ancestry might be true,
but evolution in the neo-Darwinian sense, as an unguided, unplanned process – is not
acceptable”
The Church’s stance is that any such gradual appearance must have been guided in
some way by God, but the Church has thus far declined to define in what way that
may be.

Pope Francis
On October 27, 2014, Pope Francis issued a statement at the Pontifical Academy of
Sciences, which states that: Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of
creation. He however warns against thinking of God in his act of creation as as a
[being] a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything.
The Pope also expressed in the same statement the view that scientific explanations
such as the Big Bang and evolution in fact require God’s creation:
[God] created beings and allowed them to develop according to the internal laws that
he gave to each one, so that they were able to develop and to arrive at their fullness
of being. He gave autonomy to the beings of the universe at the same time at which
he assured them of his continuous presence, giving being to every reality. And so
creation continued for centuries and centuries, millennia and millennia, until it
became what we know today, precisely because God is not a demiurge or a
magician, but the creator who gives being to all things. ...The Big Bang, which

11
nowadays is posited as the origin of the world, does not contradict the divine act of
creating, but rather requires it. The evolution of nature does not contrast with the
Book of Genesis, nor has he ever made any reference to teaching creation science in
schools.
Nor is Benedict XVI really an advocate of intelligent design in the American sense, since
intelligent design theorists typically assert that data from biology and other empirical
sciences, by itself, requires the hypothesis of a designer. Benedict may have some
sympathy for this view; he has questioned the evidence for the
transition from one species to another on the basis of random mutation and natural
selection. Ultimately, however, he sees this as a debate for scientists to resolve.
“Evolution and the Catholic Church;
([Link]
21 Josephine McKenna ed.
[Link]/news/[Link]-evolution-not-inconsistent -notion-creation)

Pope Francis: Evolution is not inconsistent with the notion of creation as evolution
presupposes the creation of beings.
Conclusion, Catholic propositions on Creation
Human intelligence is surely already capable of finding a response to the question of
origins. The existence of God the Creator can be known with certainty through his
works, by the light of human reason even if this knowledge is often obscured and
disfigured by error. That is why faith comes to confirm and enlighten reason in the
correct understanding of this truth.
After looking at the various theories of the beginnings from the Catholic Christian
perspective, we can draw out from these expositions what our faith tells us about
creation.
One thing is certain, the Catholic Church holds no official position on the theory of
creation
or evolution even though. It is not inclined to creationism, she leaves the specifics of
either

12
theistic evolution or literal creationism to the individual within certain parameters
established
by the Church. There are however, certain facts that are boldly stated:
There is an absolute beginning- “In the beginning, God created heaven and earth”
This absolute beginning was the free and sovereign constitution of being out of
nothing “ex nihilo”. This creation is being sustained. God keeps in being everything
that he has created, in other words, he continues his work of creation which theology
calls “creatio continua”
Evolution and the Big Bang are not inconsistent with creation. They rather require
creation.
The eternal God has called into being everything that exists outside of Himself:
heaven and earth.
Creation is guided. God did not just start creation going once, at the beginning and
since then he is letting it run; divine providence is a part of the doctrine of creation.
God is guiding his work to a goal.
God chose to make the human race in his own image that is able to know and love
Him.
God made man, male and female, a union of body and soul, in His irremovable
image.
This image represents human dignity as rational, free, and responsible persons.
Human responsibility is be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth. Work or labour
becomes a vocation of man. It is an essential aspect of man.
Marriage is a pre-political institution that God willed to consist only of a life-long,
exclusive, and permanent union of one man and one woman for the dual purposes of
procreation and partnership. The Sabbath anchors creation in the truth that God is
the source and goal of existence.
The great Christian preacher, Billy Graham in a brief and simple sentence captures
the Christian faith in creation when he said:
“I believe that God created man, and whether it came by evolutionary process
13
and at certain point he took this person or being and made him a living soul or
not, does not change the fact that God did create man” 23

Theology of Creation.
1. There is an absolute beginning- “In the beginning, God created heaven and
earth” – and this absolute beginning was the free and sovereign constitution
of being out of nothing.
The eternal God has called into being everything that exists outside of Himself.
“heaven and earth”.
He alone is the Creator. The Hebrew “bara”, has always God as its subject. He alone
can call anything into being.
Everything that exists is dependent upon God who gives existence to it all.
2. Creatures are different from each other. God created all kinds of animals as it
says in Genesis (1:21-25).
3. We believe in absolute beginning, but also that creation is being sustained.
God keeps in being everything that he created. That is, his continuing work of
creation, which theology calls “creatio continua” – “continuing creation”.
4. Creation is guided. God did not just start creation going once, at the beginning
and since then, he is letting it run; divine providence is a part of the doctrine of
creation. God is guiding his work to a goal.
Human intelligence is surely already capable of finding a response to the question of
origins. The existence of God the Creator can be known with certainty through his
works, by the light of human reason even if this knowledge is often obscured and
disfigured by error. That is why faith comes to confirm and enlighten reason in the
correct understanding of this truth. (CCC286; DS3026).
A belief in creation rightly understood and a rightly understood doctrine of evolution
do not stand in each other’s way. Evolution presupposes creation, creation seen in
the light of evolution, appears as an event extended over time – as a creatio

14
continua, as a continuing creation in that God becomes visible to the eye of faith as
the creator of heaven and earth”.

Then God said: Let us make man in our image and likeness… So God created man
in his image, in the image of God, he created him male and female he created them
(Gen 1:26-2)

Human life possess great sacredness value is not ascribed some as a result of great
work, good looks, economic productivity and output – the tragedy of the Nazis
abortion euthanasia, eugenics, of our time.
The sanctity of life includes preborn’, the aged, the physically infirm, the mentally
impaired. Every person has this awesome and immeasurable dignity because each
human is made in God’s [Link] human being is beyond redemption.
Our work has special value. There is dignity in labour. My work does not confer
dignity upon me, Rather, the image of God that invests my work with honour.
Work is not a curse, in and of itself, even though it is cursed, because of Adam’s sin
with frustrating toil (Gen.3 3:17-19). God himself laboured to bring creation into
existence Before the fall, we were called to work in imitation of God our Father.
This text explicitly appoints Man (gardener) to serve and to keep the earth (garden)n
even as it implicitly recognizes that the garden serves and keeps the gardener. “Each
community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for subsistence,
but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming
generations. (Pope Francis, Laudato si)
The Christian doctrine on creation is made explicit in the decrees of both the 4 th
Lateran Council (1215) and the 1 st Vatican council (1870).
In response to the dangers of the Albigensian heresy which denied that God alone is
the cause of all that is, both material and spiritual things, the 4 th Lateran Council
issued what was the first magisterial definition of creation.

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“We firmly believe and simply confess that there is only one true God.. one
principle of all things (unum universorum principium), creator of all things
visible and invisible, spiritual and corporeal, who by his almighty power
altogether at the beginning of time (simul ab initio temporis), created from
nothing (de nihilo condidit) both spiritual and corporeal creatures, that is to
say angelic and earthly…”
The first Vatican Council, 1870, which was the 20 th ecumenical Council, was
convoked by Pope Pius 1X, to deal with some contemporary issues on liberalism,
materialism, and papal infallibility and any position which denied the complete
dependence of all that is on God. The Council merely reconfirmed the teaching of 4 th
Lateran Council on creation.

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