Documents from the Catholic Church

From the Catholic Magisterium

Pius VII, “Decree of Approval for the work Elements of Astronomy by Giuseppe Settele, in support of the heliocentric system,” August 16, 1820

Vatican Council I, Dogmatic Constitution Dei Filius, on Revelation, Faith and Reason, April 24, 1870

Pius XII, The Laws that Govern the World

[Address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, February 21, 1943]

Pius XII, On Evolution and Monogenism

[Excerpts from Humani generis, August 12, 1950]

Pius XII, The Structure of the Matter of the Created World as a Manifestation of the Wisdom and Goodness of God

[Address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, April 24, 1955]

Vatican Council II, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, December 7, 1965

[Excerpts from nn. 19-22; 33-39; 57-62]

Catechism of the Catholic Church (1997), Statements regarding Creation and the problem of Origins

John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Fides et Ratio on the Relationship between Faith and Reason, September 14, 1998

Benedict XVI, Faith, Reason and the University, Speech delivered at the University of Regensburg (Germany), September 12, 2006

Benedict XVI, Lecture prepared for the visit to the university “La Sapienza”, Rome, January 17, 2008

[The following is the Address that the Pope Benedict XVI intended to give during a visit to La Sapienza University in Rome, on January 17, 2008]

Benedict XVI, Speech delivered at the Catholic University of America in Washington, April 17, 2008

Benedict XVI, Discourse to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences Plenary Session on “Scientific Insights into the Evolution of the Universe and of Life”, Rome October 31, 2008

From Other Institutions related to the Catholic Church

U.S. Delegation at the 1977 Synod of Bishops, Message to the Synod on The Relationship between the Church and the Scientific Community (1977)

Secretariat for Non Believers, Final Declaration on Modern Science and Non Believing (1981)

Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Final Statement of the Workshop The Challenges of Science, Education for the 21st Century (1991)

Pontifical Council for Culture, Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life. A Christian Reflection on the New Age, February, 3, 2003

International Theological Commission, Communion and Stewardship. Human Persons Created in the Image of God (2004)

[Excerpts from nn. 1-5; 62-70]

Congregation for the doctrine of faith, Instruction Dignitas Personae on Certain Bioethical Questions