Pope Benedict Believes Evolution Contributed to Diversity of Life

A new book being released in Germany says that Pope Benedict is following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, in recognizing that evolution is more than just a hypothesis.

"I would not depend on faith alone to explain the whole picture," the Pope said, according to a new book, Creation and Evolution, published in Germany.

The Pope does defend creationism, but says that evolution was part of the process. The implication being that when the Christian god created the universe, he intended for evolution to happen.

The Pope said it was pointless to side either with "creationism that fundamentally excludes science" or with a theory of evolution that rules out all questions "that reach beyond the possibilities of science".

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"I find it important to stress that the theory of evolution implies questions that must be assigned to philosophy," he said.

Other religious creation stories also allow for evolution, which makes you wonder what the controversy is about.

Pope Benedict Stirs Up Evolution Debate [Telegraph]