Why Do Catholics Believe That God Allows Evil? *

If God is all-loving, all-powerful, and all-wise, why does he allow evil--especially in the lives of holy people? A series of personal calamities provoke Job to ponder that question. In the end, he confesses that he simply cannot answer it: "I have dealt with great things that I do not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know" (Jb 42:3).

For Christians, too, evil is a problem we cannot figure out. Nevertheless, our faith provides a number of clues that help us begin to explore the mystery.

First, we must recognize that much evil has come about because of sin. Creatures with a free will--both humans and angels--have chosen to turn away from God, the Source of life, love, joy, and wisdom (see Rom 3:12, Jude 6). In doing so, they have fallen into death, selfishness, misery, and ignorance, bringing great ruin to the world in the process (see also "Why do Catholics believe in Original Sin?")

God allows evil in part because it is a necessary risk of creating sons and daughters who are free to love or not to love. And re recognizes that free, loving creatures are such a great good, they are more than worth the risk.

At the same time, no matter how terrible the evil caused by sin, God is great enough, and wise enough, to bring about through the evil an even greater good (see Gn 50:20; Rom 8:28). The resurrection of Christ is in fact a glorious example of how God can create joy from sorrow, beauty from horror, victory from defeat, and life from death (see 1 Pt 1:3-5).

Why doesn't God bring all evildoers to an end even now, since they have already had their chance to choose good? Because of his mercy, he delays the final overthrow of the wicked to allow every possibility for their redemption (see 2 Pt 3:9-10). In the meantime, he can use the suffering caused by evil to purify us (see 1 Pt 1:6-9).

Finally, we must remember that God is not oblivious to the agonies caused by evil. By joining his divine nature to our vulnerable human nature in Christ, he actually made himself capable of suffering with us and for us (see Is 53:1-12). In fact, our Lord has experienced the pain and horror of evil to a depth we ourselves will never fully know. 

Other related scriptures: Gn 3:1-24; Is 14:12-15; 61:1-3; Rom 8:18; Phil 2:5-8; Col 2:13-15; Heb 2:18.

Catechism of the Catholic Church: 309-314; 324; 385-421.

*Quoted from The New Catholic Answer Bible. Wichita, Kansas, Fireside Catholic Publishing, 2005. www.firesidecatholic.com

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