"God is Not a Magician," Pope Francis Says

Never in my non-Catholic life did I believe that I would have a favorite pope, but Pope Francis has definitely earned that title. At a plenary meeting at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Monday, Pope Francis told attendees that evolution and the Big Bang are real, and that God is not a magician. What blessed nuggets of information!

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.

OH SNAP. The pope continued:

The Big Bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator but, rather, requires it. Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.

Reconciling science and religion has been a struggle in churches, which generally regard the Big Bang as a myth rather than, as the pope said, "the origin of the world." The remarks were made at a three-day session called "Evolving Concepts of Nature," which brings together scholars to help equip Catholic scientists and teachers with better resources when discussing science and religion. The pope's declarations are especially important in light of Pope Francis' predecessor, Benedict XVI, who promoted intelligent design.

So yeah, this might not sound like a huge revelatory moment for most of humanity, but for the leader of a church that once excommunicated Galileo for claiming the earth revolved around the sun, this is pretty huge.

Certainly, Catholics aren't the only group that struggle with science. I've got a few ideas on who Pope Francis should sit down with in the near future:

Michele Bachmann

Though many Republican candidates have been scrutinized for their refusal to discuss or debate evolution, Bachmann was pretty clear about her thoughts on what should be taught in schools.

I support intelligent design. What I support is putting all science on the table and then letting students decide. I don't think it's a good idea for government to come down on one side of scientific issue or another, when there is reasonable doubt on both sides.

So if the government can't come down on "scientific issues," can the pope?

Ken Ham

Young-earth creationist Ken Ham is the president of Answers in Genesis, the group ministry that operates the Creationist Museum. Famous for trading public jabs with Neil deGrasse Tyson and debating Bill Nye in February, I'd love to see the fast-talker measure up to the pontiff himself.

Chuck Norris

The man who is most famous for being a prolonged Internet joke had some pretty sassy words about the theory of evolution.

It’s funny. It’s cute. But here’s what I really think about the theory of evolution: It’s not real. It is not the way we got here. In fact, the life you see on this planet is really just a list of creatures God has allowed to live.

Let's see if the breathing meme could take on Francis' round-kicks of knowledge.

David Blaine

God, definitely not a magician. David Blaine, definitely not God. Enough said.

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