Expert: Edward Bode - 8/11/2011

Question
What do Catholics believe it means to be Human and what doctrine founds this belief? Is human identity linked closely to origin and the concept of creation in God's image? Additionally how does the Catholic Church perceive theories such as evolution and the big bang, and how does this affect the perception of human identity? Do you perceive such scientific theories compliment Catholicism or do they conflict if so can they coexist?

Answer
Humanity is described as made in God's image at the beginning of Genesis, where God is depicted as acting to establish the universe; so, the image motif there would seem to indicate that humanity could be said to share in God's power to act and care for creation.  Theoretically, human intellect and will mirror in some faint way the divine intellect and will.
Catholic teaching proceeds from the basic premise that God is the source of all truth [whether  through His revelation or by human intelligence]; so, no real conflict exists between divine revelation or human scientific knowledge].  Several years ago, the Vatican gathered specialists from the whole world to discuss biological and cosmic evolution.  I understand that the results of that conference have recently been published by the Vatican.  I do not have an exact reference, but you should be able to find a link from the Vatican website or its new news website.  You might try http://www.libreriaeditricevaticana.com/
In short, the providence of God extends to all creation from the first moment of created matter through the origin of a human being with body and spiritual soul and on to this day.  God could have started by creating a spec of matter for the cosmos; for living beings, when the preparation was right, He would have inserted a spiritual [immortal] soul and the first human appeared.
I hope these thoughts are of some help, Hamish; if you desire more from me, please feel free to write again.
Best wishes.