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Father Angelo,

For me, Christ is the only figure who deserves to be adored.

I don’t understand a thing about creation. Starting from the dinosaurs, Nature has always been violent and there is no doubt about that. 

Looking at the Sea I see continuous violence made up of larger fish eating smaller fish.

In my little mind, which I have free and this too is a mystery, I ask myself the reason for this design violence. I don’t want to put you in a difficult position, Father.

How is it possible that God created a reality like this when in itself Violence is not even thinkable?

How did you solve this question?

If you have solved it, can you explain it to me?

If you have not resolved it, how can you live in a vocational state while leaving such a strong creative conflict at a standstill?

Thank you. Tell me everything you think is appropriate.

Thank you.

Massimo


Priest’s answer

Dear Massimo,

1. the presence of certain evils in the world does not escape the government of divine Providence.

Indeed, divine wisdom itself can arrange things in such a way that the failure of one being leads to the perfection of another.

In Sacred Scripture we read that divine wisdom “Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily and governs all things well”.(Wis 8.1 Vulgate). 

This is why God arranges for the fruits of the earth to fail so that they can sustain man.

Can we say that this is violence done to these same fruits? Or can we not say that these fruits reach their perfection because they serve to keep alive a rational, intelligent being, capable of God and who is destined to live eternally?

I think for any person who goes shopping, they don’t think at all that they are doing violence to nature or that shopkeepers are ministers of violence to nature!

2. This discussion applies not only to inorganic and vegetal organic realities, but also to animal ones.

St. Thomas resolves the matter with these words: “It is otherwise with one who has care of a particular thing, and one whose providence is universal, because a particular provider excludes all defects from what is subject to his care as far as he can; whereas, one who provides universally allows some little defect to remain, lest the good of the whole should be hindered. Hence, corruption and defects in natural things are said to be contrary to some particular nature; yet they are in keeping with the plan of universal nature; inasmuch as the defect in one thing yields to the good of another, or even to the universal good: for the corruption of one is the generation of another, and through this it is that a species is kept in existence. Since God, then, provides universally for all being, it belongs to His providence to permit certain defects in particular effects, that the perfect good of the universe may not be hindered, for if all evil were prevented, much good would be absent from the universe. A lion would cease to live, if there were no slaying of animals; and there would be no patience of martyrs if there were no tyrannical persecution. Thus Augustine says (Enchiridion 2):”Almighty God would in no wise permit evil to exist in His works, unless He were so almighty and so good as to produce good even from evil.” (Summa theologica, I, 22, 2, to 2).


3. Furthermore, with regard to evil, it is necessary to distinguish between evil which is caused by the defect of an action or of the person who acts and evil which consists in the corruption or destruction of something.

Now, when it comes to evil resulting from the defect of an action or from the defect of the one who acts, in no way can it be said that this is caused by God.

But if it is a question of the corruption of the thing in itself then it can happen that “now, the order of the universe requires, as was said above (Question [22], Article [2], ad 2; Question [48], Article [2]), that there should be some things that can, and do sometimes, fail. And thus God, by causing in things the good of the order of the universe, consequently and as it were by accident, causes the corruptions of things, according to 1 Kgs. 2:6: “The Lord killeth and maketh alive.”  (1 Sam 2,6 )” (Summa theologica, I, 49, 2)

4. However, apart from these cases, it cannot be said that nature is in itself violent.

From the story of carnivorous animals, such as dinosaurs, one cannot categorically conclude that nature is violent.

You just have to look around to see that this is not the case: the fields that continue to give us wheat and every other fruit of the earth have not a violent nature.

The plants that continue to give us their flowers and fruits are not violent in nature.

The sun, which continues to illuminate and heat, the moon and the entire firmament are not violent in nature.

The water that continues to flow from the springs, which regenerates the soil and is necessary for the human organism, is not violent in nature. Even if sometimes there are hurricanes, it continues to be, as Saint Francis said, our “sister water, which is very useful, humble, precious and chaste”.

Likewise “through brother wind and through the air and the clouds and the serenity and all the weather, through which you give sustenance to your creatures”.

5. As you can see, there is really no need to put one’s vocation in crisis!

With the best wishes of all, I bless you and remember you in prayer,

Father Angelo