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Pope backs evolution theory, says 'God doesn't have a magic wand'

The pontiff said that the Big Bang theory is not inconsistent with Catholic teachings.

POPE FRANCIS HAS said that the Big Bang is not inconsistent with Catholicism, noting that God wasn’t a magician.

The Pope made the comments at a meeting of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the Vatican, where ‘Evolving Concepts of Nature’ were being discussed.

The pontiff stated: “Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.”

“When we read about creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so.

“He created human beings and let them develop according to the internal laws that he gave to each one so they would reach fulfilment.”

Although his thoughts on certain issues are radical when compared to his predecessors, Francis is not the first Pope to have expressed such an opinion on this subject.

In 1950, Pope Pius XII said that the theory evolution was not at odds with Catholic teachings, while Pope John Paul II said it was “effectively proven fact” in 1996.

The Vatican has suggested it’s ready to welcome gay people… sort of

Pope Francis: Religion can never justify violence

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    Mute paul kelly
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    Jun 13th 2019, 12:37 AM

    9 years to see a Urologist in Waterford.

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    Mute Dublin Wings
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    Jun 13th 2019, 12:43 AM

    @paul kelly: That’s taking the pi$$

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    Mute Adrian
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    Jun 13th 2019, 7:01 AM

    @paul kelly: leo wouldn’t believe that now if he heard it, coming especially from waterford. He said as much a few months ago.

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    Mute Charles McGuire
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    Jun 13th 2019, 4:35 AM

    Cataract surgery waiting lists is ridiculous, maybe the government need to contact sight savers all over Africa doing this simple quick operation on how best to do it.

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    Mute Tommy C
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    Jun 13th 2019, 1:14 AM

    Or maybe we could just continue the circle of health getting totally out of control (we are there now) and watch on as the government offer up the head of the minister who took the poisoned chalice fully knowing that he/she will be looked after following the inevitable outcome and go on to do very well for themselves. Maybe even finding themselves giving out on behalf of the public about the new minister who received the chalice in full knowledge that they will be looked after. The cycle needs to be smashed

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    Mute TRUMPS#BLIMP
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    Jun 13th 2019, 7:07 AM

    @Tommy C: we have one of the best funded health services in the world. Something very wrong with the HSE.

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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Jun 13th 2019, 7:46 AM

    @Tommy C: more like circle of death by the time you are called for a operation.

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    Mute Neuville-Kepler62F
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    Jun 13th 2019, 10:17 PM

    @TRUMPS#BLIMP: Metrics used by HSE are daft.

    Trolleys as a metric of waiting lists is wrong as it measures inputs.
    You must measure the outputs of each and every HSE process …

    Procedures per day per unit staff (10 or 100 or x staff .. whatever the international benchmark is …)

    8 per day in UK NHS
    6 per day in Irish private hospitals
    4 per day in Irish public system

    A few process specialists could solve this by reduction of number of handoffs, reduce in inter handoff dead times, …. there are experts who know how to fix the dreadful Irish health care system waiting lists …

    Procedures per day as a key metric is a must to reduce waiting lists. HSE have enough money … 11% of GDP v 9% for other countries.

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 13th 2019, 5:30 AM

    Go private, that’s the FG way.

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    Mute Tim Oleary
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    Jun 13th 2019, 5:23 PM

    @Dave Doyle: If you pay you get the service. Nothing to do with politics. He HSE does its best.

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    Mute Paula Mackie Senior
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    Jun 13th 2019, 12:21 AM

    Unfortunate sentence that cataract patients waiting for surgery *see* waiting lists blah blah…. if the waiting list are so long they’ll see bugger all by the time they get a slot. Where is the editor?

    33
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    Mute Sirius
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    Jun 13th 2019, 7:52 AM

    That’s because we don’t have enough staff or funding. Every section of medical staff is going abroad for better money and better working conditions. Our hospitals are like cesspits. The HSE needs to be torn down, all the dead weight disposed of and a new, non corrupt organisation put together. There’s still far too much nepotism and corruption in the HSE, this means someone’s mate is getting the job over the right person, the most qualified and experienced person.

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    Mute Frank O Regan
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    Jun 13th 2019, 7:57 AM

    “That’s the standard technique of privatization: defund, make sure things don’t work, people get angry, you hand it over to private capital.”

    Noam Chomsky,

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    Mute Charlie
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    Jun 13th 2019, 2:12 AM

    Should of seen this coming

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    Mute davey boy
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    Jun 13th 2019, 7:48 AM

    Patients on waiting lists don’t cost any money. It’s that simple.

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    Mute Seeking Truth
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    Jun 13th 2019, 8:48 AM

    This is dangerous and upsetting. Being on a waiting list with the HSE is like awaiting a prison sentence.

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