Since a drastic renewal of both scientific research and the teaching of science in Australian schools has assumed a high priority in our Marian Academy, I had composed in the early nineties a systematic analysis of the teachings of Pope PIUS XII on science teaching and research, and it occurred to us to see how Einstein’s relativity theories would stack up against these papal teachings.
These teachings of Pope PIUS XII on both the study and teaching of science span a period of 9 years, from 1948 to 1957, and are contained in one encyclical, Humani Generis of 1950 and in 9 addresses, one before the encyclical, in 1948, and eight since its appearance. The Pope died in 1958.
The names and dates of the papal addresses are:
From these documents we are to gather, not only the mind of an individual Holy Father, but also the mind-set of the Pope, that is, the mind-set of Peter, the mind-set of the Papacy as such, expressing the mind of the Catholic Church, thereby guarded by “the Spirit of all Truth”.
As regards the author of these addresses, they reveal an individual who is truly a Holy Father, with a great personal love for scientists and an almost unbounded interest in their daily occupation, their science and technology. They reveal the thorough grasp this fatherly individual has on scientific matters, enabling him to give to this love and admiration the solid foundation they deserve. At the same time the 1950 encyclical and each of these 9 addresses also reveal the limits by which this same fatherly figure as Pope curbs the personal enthusiasm of this particular Holy Father. And by this loving but at the same time artful inclusion of himself within the boundaries of their shared enthusiasm, the Holy Father softens the necessity that, as Pope, it is his duty as Christ’s personal Vicar of His Church, to point out to his friends the scientists the limitations of their science. But he assures them that, within these boundaries and limitations, he remains with them all the way ...
The reason for the divine choice of this particular Pope to head the Holy Catholic Church at this particular moment in time becomes clear if we compare the tone of the 1950 encyclical Humani Generis with that of the 9 addresses.
In 1950 Pope Pius XII was forced to condemn and utterly reject a pseudo science called ‘teilhardian evolution’, which was in the process of corrupting not only Catholicism but also true scientific endeavours. The tone is uncompromisingly strong because the corruption came from within! In the subsequent addresses, as the Holy Father, when there was no immediate reason to condemn, but only to caution and guide, Pope Pius XII seems to go out of his way to make sure that no one had any reason to accuse him or the Catholic Church of the terrible falsehood: that Humani Generis was addressed against all science. The tone in these addresses is warm, fatherly, inclusive and encouraging. He knew that in only one serious way could this fatherly warmth be twisted, misused and misinterpreted: to hold it up as a kind of back-handed, papal approval for any sort of evolutionary ‘science’. But that path had been securely blocked in his 1950 encyclical. What ever other necessary curbs and pruning had to be made are found there, and they lie sprinkled over all the other major addresses and speeches.
This is the end of the Introduction. But before Einstein’s theories can be held up against the detailed teachings contained in Humani Generis and its 9 corollaries, it is first necessary to gather together in an orderly overview the ingredients used for the compilation of this document.