Are Catholics expected to believe in the existence of Adam and Eve as described in the Book of Genesis? Is it acceptable for Catholics to believe in the theory of evolution?

Or is it alright, Father Wesley Schawe asked teachers gathered at the Diocesan Teachers Institute Sept. 23, for Catholics to believe in yet another theory, that of Intelligent Design?

Father Schawe, parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, raised these questions during a presentation at the institute held at the cathedral. Teachers and principals from Catholic schools across the diocese attended the day-long event, which also included presentations by Wichita superintendent of schools, Bob Voboril, and a commissioning Mass celebrated by Bishop Ronald Gilmore.

The topic has made headlines in Kansas recently, as debates rage concerning what children should or shouldn’t be taught regarding evolution and creationism.

In 1996, Pope John Paul II told the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, "Today some findings lead us toward the recognition of evolution as more than an hypothesis."

Believing that there was an evolutionary process does not necessarily exclude God’s involvement. Believing that evolution was God’s plan is at the base of Intelligent Design.

"It would be senseless to act as if scientific research did not exist," Father Schawe said. "It’s good for us to acknowledge what is happening in the scientific community … to recognize that there was some evolutionary process.

"What makes a human person?" he asked. "A body and soul. It’s okay – even sensible, even complimentary to God – to believe that there was a physical development (an evolution) over time of the body until it was prepared to accept a soul and be a person."

The evolutionary theory states that evolution was a result of random acts of mutation and natural selection over millions of years, and was not guided or managed by a high power.

Intelligent Design, Father Schawe explained, maintains that "evolution didn’t simply happen by chance. This process was part of God’s plan.

"Regardless of varying theories of physical development, what we must accept is that at some point, with God’s creation of the human soul, there was a moment in which we did not have a human, and then we did."

In other words, he said, "We cannot believe that there was ever a ‘barely-human.’ At some point, with the creation of a soul, we had a human being."

The battle as to what teachers should and shouldn’t teach has raged in Kansas, drawing what Father Schawe called an "unchecked religious fervor."

"Some believe that the world started on an October morning in 4004 BC," he said. "John Paul II said that the Bible was not written to tell us how the heavens go, but how to get to heaven. It’s a moral guide."

The other problem, he said, are those who push God out entirely, maintaining that there was no plan, no guidance, no divine intervention.

"The future of Catholic school education depends on the entire Catholic community embracing wholeheartedly the concept of stewardship of time, talent, and treasure, and translating stewardship into concrete action."

With that quotation from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ June, 2005 statement on Catholic education, Bob Voboril, superintendent of schools with the Diocese of Wichita, set the tone for his address at the teachers’ institute Sept. 23 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

"The solution to the financial problems of Catholic education is not money but faith," Voboril stated. "Stewardship should be placed in the context of faith."

Voboril then presented four questions and the responses most people might give.

Q. "What do you have?"

A. "Not enough."

Q. "Where did it come from?"

A. "Everything I have came from my hard work."

Q. "What am I supposed to do with it?"

A. "Whatever I want. It’s mine."

Q. "What do I owe anybody else."

A. "Nothing."

"There is a purchase mentality at work in the world today," stated Voboril. "If I can afford it, I have a right to it whether I need it or not, and if I don’t think it hurts anyone else, I can do whatever I want with whomever I want whenever I want. And it is none of anyone else’s business. Years ago, Pope Paul VI predicted that the outcome of such a mentality would be disposable values, disposable relationships and disposable lives. And that is where we are. Six out of 10 marriages end in divorce, one out of three children is aborted, euthanasia is legalized, and child abuse is increasing."

"How would a steward look at those same four questions?"

Q. "What do I have?"

A. "Everything I need and a lot of what I want."

Q. "Where did it come from?"

A. "Everything I have comes from God and I owe Him back everything."

Q. "What am I supposed to do with it?"

A. "I share it. As a Catholic educator, I must, in particular, share it with my parish because schools will cease to exist if parishes don’t get stronger. Schools exist to strengthen parishes, but education is just one mission of the parish. Jesus gave us a great commission, ‘Go teach. Make disciples of all nations and baptize them.’ If our students and their families don’t become active parishioners, we haven’t done our job."

Q. "What do I owe anybody else?"

A. "Tell your students they owe the best that is in them. Their talents mean nothing if all they want to do is get rich and have more. What they learn must be placed at the service of the entire community."

"If it’s a stewardship school, you should look to see how many ways you can use your school to build up your parish. Kids need to be in church on Sunday with Mom and Dad.

"If it’s a stewardship school, right and wrong come first; then a-b-c and 1-2-3.

"If it’s a stewardship school, decisions are not made as purchase mentality, but as stewardship mentality. Promote volunteerism.

"If it’s stewardship, it has to be mission driven. Know your mission. Everything you do has to be consistent with your mission.

"If it is stewardship, mom and dad are the real educators, and we professionals help them.

"If it is stewardship, teachers teach students, not subjects.

"If it is stewardship, teachers teach from virtue; not power.

"If’ it’s stewardship, it comes first.

"If it’s stewardship, it comes out of your substance, not your surplus.

"If it’s stewardship, it is generous.

"If it’s stewardship, it takes care of the poor first."

"We all know about the Biblical tithe," stated Voboril. "Money is easy. You either do it or you don’t, but do it first. But I don’t think God wants 10 percent. He wants it all. He’s not after your possessions; He wants your heart. Give God your heart and it will make all the difference."