Chapter 5. I Believe in God • 59
Undermine the Foundations of Catholic Doctrine
(
Humani Generis
),
Pope Pius XII applied this principle to the controversial theories of evo-
lution, which have often been used in a materialistic or agnostic sense
to argue against any divine intervention in the work of creation: “The
[Magisterium] of the Church does not forbid that, in conformity with
the present state of human sciences and sacred theology, research and
discussions, on the part of [people] experienced in both fields, take place
1. What does faith in God mean?
It means coming to know God’s greatness and majesty. It
means living in thanksgiving. It means knowing the unity
and true dignity of all men. It means making good use of
created things. It means trusting in God, even in adversity.
(CCC, nos. 222-227)
2. Why does the Creed begin with God?
Our profession of faith begins with
God
, for God is the
First and the Last, the beginning and the end of every-
thing. The [Creed] begins with God the
Father
, for the
Father is the first divine person of the Most Holy Trinity;
our Creed begins with the creation of heaven and earth,
for creation is the beginning and foundation of all God’s
works. (CCC, no. 198)
3. What is the importance of God’s Revelation about creation?
Creation is the foundation of “all God’s saving plans,” the
“beginning of the history of salvation” that culminates in
Christ. Conversely, the mystery of Christ casts conclusive
light on the mystery of creation and reveals the end for
which “in the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth”: from the beginning, God envisioned the glory
of the new creation in Christ. (CCC, no. 280, citing the
General Catechetical Directory
, no. 51, and Gn 1:1)
FROM THE CATECHISM