Pope: Humanity Is Not Product of Random Evolution

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI has marked the holiest night of the year for Christians by preaching that humanity isn't a random product of evolution.

Benedict emphasized the Biblical account of creation in his Easter Vigil homily, saying it was wrong to think at some point "in some tiny corner of the cosmos there evolved randomly some species of living being capable of reasoning and of trying to find rationality within creation, or to bring rationality into it."

He said: "If man were merely a random product of evolution in some place on the margins of the universe, then his life would make no sense or might even be a chance of nature." He said "creative, divine reason" was present during the origin of life.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI is marking the holiest night of the year for Christians with an Easter vigil service in St. Peter's Basilica during which he will baptize six people.

Benedict began Saturday night's ceremony by lighting a candle that symbolizes the resurrection of Christ, which the faithful mark on Easter Sunday.

After he walked down a darkened central aisle of St. Peter's in silence, the hundreds of faithful in the pews shared the flame from candle to candle until the basilica twinkled and the lights came on.

This year, students of the Legion of Christ, the conservative order undergoing a major Vatican-mandated overhaul, provided the liturgical service. The Vatican took over the Legion last May 1 after confirming its founder was a pedophile.