Fulton J. Sheen Quotes
The term science means something quite different for our generation than it did not so many generations ago.
Sheen, Fulton J. Philosophy of Religion. Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1948, p. 1.
He was addressing the misunderstanding that many laypeople and most anti-evolutionists have that if Evolution is only a theory why put so much stock in it. The layman often uses the word “theory” in opposition to “fact.” But to the scientist theories are of different types—those that are as of yet speculation and those for which a strong body of evidence exists. Evolution, like Relativity, has a huge amount of evidence supporting it. Yet in time every good scientist knows that all these proven theories will be modified with new knowledge. Relativity has been demonstrated as having errors initially by Einstein himself. The essence of these things are true although elements change. The early law of gravity is the best example. We know that it is wrong in many, circumstances—in space for example. But it, none the less, is fundamental to much analysis and with our much more sophisticated understanding of it we still talk of the “Law” of gravity even though we realize that it is not quite correct in all circumstances.
Fulton John Sheen was an American bishop (later archbishop) of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. Ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria in 1919, Sheen quickly became a renowned theologian, earning the Cardinal Mercier Prize for International Philosophy in 1923. He went on to teach theology and philosophy at the Catholic University of America as well as acting as a parish priest before being appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York in 1951. He held this position until 1966 when he was made the Bishop of Rochester. He resigned in 1969 as his 75th birthday approached, and was made the Archbishop of the titular see of Newport, Wales.
