Question:
Answer:
As Karlo Broussard has noted before, the Church has no official teaching on this matter, given that it’s not a matter of faith and morals. And so the young-Earth view is not an official Church teaching. That the world and the universe were created by God is a matter of faith.
As Karlo also notes, the Church provides that the findings of modern science
. . . have splendidly enriched our knowledge of the age and dimensions of the cosmos, the development of life-forms and the appearance of man. These discoveries invite us to even greater admiration for the greatness of the Creator, prompting us to give him thanks for all his works and for the understanding and wisdom he gives to scholars and researchers (CCC 283).
In that light, scientists estimate the Earth to be 4.54 billion years old and the universe 13.8 billion years old.
For more on this topic, see our tract on Adam, Eve, and Evolution.