(Russell Wallace) wrote in message ...
On Sat, 6 Sep 2003 12:29:57 -0400, "GO VOLS!"
wrote:

... the official position of
the Vatican is that "Let there be light" refers to the Big Bang.

Is this so? Can you provide documentation (preferably with a nihil
obstat attached)?

A cursory search through the Vatican Web site, the NCCB/USCC Web site,
and the official _Catechism_ turned up nothing--and i would have been
surprised had i found any definitive pronouncement. The NCCB/USCC Web
site mentions the Big Bang, but without ruling on its truthfulness.
The _Catechism_ takes the attitude of let the scientists be
scientists, without mentioning any specific theory.

The best that i'm aware of is that the Church doesn't consider the Big
Bang to be in conflict with "Let there be light." That's not to say
that the Church endorses this interpretation. IMHO, that would be
same mistake that the Church authorities made with Galileo and
Bruno--a mistake that i think the Magisterium has learned from. Since
all scientific theory is open to review, and no scientific theory is
advanced by authority, it wouldn't make sense for the Church to rule
on this as a theological matter.


Clear skies!

--
------------------- Richard Callwood III --------------------
~ U.S. Virgin Islands ~ USDA zone 11 ~ 18.3N, 64.9W ~
~ eastern Massachusetts ~ USDA zone 6 (1992-95) ~
--------------- http://cac.uvi.edu/staff/rc3/ ---------------