Evolution in the sense of common ancestry might be true, but evolution in the neo-Darwinian sense - an unguided, unplanned process of random variation and natural selection - is not. Any system of thought that denies or seeks to explain away the overwhelming evidence for design in biology is ideology, not science.
-- Christoph Schönborn, the Roman Catholic cardinal archbishop of Vienna, was the lead editor of the official 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church.
I was taught evolution in Catholic school. The two are not really mutually exclusive. Does the Catholic Church really think God is directly guiding each and every development of the natural order? The editorial somehow puts forth the idea that individual self-worth, the "necessary" value of each individual, is cheapened by evolution. This in no way needs to follow. I do not personally buy this "necessary" talk as if the existence of each and every one of us was blessed by a higher power (anti-abortion thought clearly rears its head here). Nonetheless, I do honor the self-worth of each individual.* The fact they developed by means of natural selection does not change this for me.
Furthermore, there seems to be a confusion here between "design" overall and natural selection in particular instances. Christian believers who support evolution overall believe that God was involved in the creation of the natural selection process. He in some way continues to be involved as well, especially in connection with his top creation, human beings. Jesus and so forth factors in here as well, especially for Christians per se. One might say that natural selection overall was "designed." Nonetheless, the process is random in specific instances. No need for direct divine intervention in the creation of a new species of ferns. This is in no way "ideology."
Once upon a time, Roman Catholics was a small minority in this country, not even five percent of the population. Now it is a significant one, the major single Christian sect (not counting Protestant as one) in this country. I fear the prospect of Catholics overall getting involved in the evolution wars. Roman Catholic cardinals have enough to worry about in this harsh world. Keep your hands off evolution -- it is not going to help you in the reproductive wars and so forth. And, clearly, the science is a bit confusing for the leadership as well.
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* Other than the fact it doesn't work, this is another reason I'm upset about the "flypaper theory" about the war in Iraq. The sentiment has a certain coldheartedness that is especially harsh given the fact that our fearless leader is supposed to be a Christian. The "flypaper" is basically Iraq -- its people basically bait. The wheat is not separated from the chaff.
This is apparently acceptable, since hey, better than us! The "us" by the way does not include our soldiers, aid workers, contractors, and so forth. We are rightly upset that fifty people died in London -- darn if the flypaper didn't work in that case -- but what of the thousands more of innocent Iraqi civilians who are killed? I assume the sentiment is that their blood is not equal to us. They warrant respect somewhere below blasocysts or brain dead patients in the current political environment.
This does not justify those that attack the policy with hyperbole ("not one attack was stopped" etc.), but it is a striking flaw all the same.