The conference on biological evolution opened today here in Rome at the Gregorian University, and it’s making headlines quickly.

It’s interesting attending the conference and seeing how the major media report it.

The AP did a big piece on this opening day.

The Vatican sought Tuesday to show that it isn’t opposed
to science and evolutionary theory, hosting a conference on Charles
Darwin and trying to debunk the idea that it embraces creationism or
intelligent design.

Some of the world’s top biologists, paleontologists and molecular
geneticists joined theologians and philosophers for the five-day
seminar marking the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s “The Origin of
Species.”

Cardinal William Levada, head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith, said the Catholic Church doesn’t stand in the
way of scientific realities like evolution, saying there was a “wide
spectrum of room” for belief in both the scientific basis for evolution
and faith in God the creator.

“We believe that however creation has come about and evolved,
ultimately God is the creator of all things,” he said on the sidelines
of the conference.

The Beeb was there, too.

Christian churches were long hostile to Darwin because his theory conflicted with the literal biblical account of creation.

The Church does not promote creationism. Today’s sessions heavily
emphasized historical Darwinism and natural selection as a scientific
explanation of how creation evolved over millions of years.

This is far more complicated than cultural camps who adhere to
neo-Darwinism or Intelligent Design make it out to be, though they each
believe they’ve found the best common ground answer to thorny questions
about the origin of man. And when it includes philosophers and
tholeogians, the destination of man as well.

This is only the beginning…

Reporting live from the Rome conference all week. In whatever few moments allow for computer access.