Ladies and gentlemen,
To use Jesuit Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s approach of melding the concept of “evolution” with the Christian vision of salvation is concerning. A decree from the Holy Office dated June 30, 1962, under the authority of Pope John XXIII, warned: “… the said works [Father Teilhard’s] are replete with ambiguities or rather with serious errors which offend Catholic doctrine. That is why … the Rev. Fathers of the Holy Office urge all … to effectively protect, especially the minds of the young, against the dangers of the works of Fr. Teilhard de Chardin and his followers.”
While micro-evolution, or adaptation in my view, is frequently observed and documented, the change from one kind of animal to another (family level) has not been shown. Darwin’s concept of evolution relied on blind, unguided, natural processes for the origin of life.
In 2026, no one can show how lifeless molecules can become life and reproduce in a primordial “swamp” (a myth), and how the “first” and “last common universal ancestor,” a plant, became an animal. Recently, James Tour, organic chemistry and nanotechnology professor at Rice University, provided detailed reasons why science cannot (create the conditions) in the laboratory or in nature for life to form and replicate, from lifeless molecules.
If one follows Father Teilhard, doubt can develop on the church’s doctrine, such as: are Adam and Eve real? In 1925, Teilhard was ordered by the superior general of the Society of Jesus, Wlodzimierz Ledochowski, to leave his teaching position in France and to sign a statement withdrawing his controversial statements regarding the doctrine of original sin.
Scientific theories change with time; our Catholic Christian faith must not be shaken by what scientists say.
Peace,
James Kwong