That would be the church moving into science to make claims regarding scientific findings, and false ones at that.
I have to agree and it's not easy to say so.
One might argue that the Cardinal is either objecting to "random" in the sense of "purposeless", or "random" in the sense of "stochastic" (or both).
The language is imprecise enough to admit of either interpretation.
If it was intended solely in the former sense, this is essentially nothing new, and indeed I'd argue that questions of purpose in evolution are outside the scope of strictly scentific inquiry.
But, the tone of the piece is polemical enough to at least suggest the latter sense was intended. It seems the Cardinal is throwing down the gauntlet to the scientific comunity to some degree.
If indeed it was intended in the latter sense, this is a serious problem and a step towards obscurantism.
Stochastic processes play a role in not only evolution as it is understood presently, but in many areas of physics as well. Does the Cardinal intend to call into question quantum theory, nonlinear dynamics, or nonequilibrium thermodynamics as well? All fields with not only voluminous theoretical, observational and experimental evidence, but practical applications including the devices we are using to conduct this discussion?
It should be recalled that the statements of an individual Cardinal do not rise to the level of official Vatican doctrine; only Papal or conciliar documents, or documents produced by a Vatican theological commission, do.
Nevertheless, remarks by a Cardinal carry considerable influence, and personally I'm quite concerned and will have to follow developments closely on this.
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