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Pope Francis, in a speech given at a Pontifical Academy of Sciences, has declared his support of evolution as the scientific explanation of the origin of man. Following on the statements of his recent predecessors, it seems that the Catholic position is now firm.

What is the position of the Episcopal Church on this issue?

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    I think if you ask specifically about Episcopal Churches, then it would be fine for this site, but this topic is in no way uniform across any of the denominations. – fredsbend Jan 26 '15 at 5:54
  • Pope Francis did not declare his support for evolution as the correct theory. He stated that evolution as currently understood is not incompatible with Christian faith. That's very different. Even scientists don't claim that the current version of evolutionary theory is the only possible one. – DJClayworth Jan 26 '15 at 15:37
  • @DJClayworth "“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 and their fullness of being. " In a different context, this could be read as referring to spiritual development, but in a speech about cosmic and human origins, given to a science academy, it is a reference to the evolution of beings, each one (ie not just humans) - more than mere compatibility. The word 'support' is never intended to imply a scientific decision that the final and unchangeable theory has now been defined. – Dick Harfield Jan 26 '15 at 20:54
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    @DickHarfield Yes I know he was talking about physical evolution. You said "Pope Francis [...] has declared his support of evolution as the scientifically correct explanation of the origin of man", and I am pointing out that he did not. He stated that evolution does not contradict Christianity, – DJClayworth Jan 27 '15 at 2:08
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    @DJClayworth I reread his speech and stand corrected on those exact words (which I have now deleted) - I was paraphrasing a non-official report of his speech. I do, however, regard his position as stronger than "not incompatible" - as I stated above. Thank you for pointing this out. – Dick Harfield Jan 27 '15 at 2:39
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In 2006, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church affirmed its support for the theory of evolution, resolving by Resolution 2006-A129:

That God is Creator, in accordance with the witness of Scripture and the ancient Creeds of the Church; and

That the theory of evolution provides a fruitful and unifying scientific explanation for the emergence of life on earth, that many theological interpretations of origins can readily embrace an evolutionary outlook, and that an acceptance of evolution is entirely compatible with an authentic and living Christian faith; and

That Episcopalians strongly encourage state legislatures and state and local boards of education to establish standards for science education based on the best available scientific knowledge as accepted by a consensus of the scientific community; and

That Episcopal dioceses and congregations seek the assistance of scientists and science educators in understanding what constitutes reliable scientific knowledge.

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