The Church teaches that God created an ordered universe, and since it came out of his goodness, that it was good. Therefore, man is entrusted to respect and defend the goodness of Creation, including the physical world in which he lives.

Having created his work, God is present to all his creatures. “In him we live, and move and have our being,” wrote Saint Augustine. God is with us to uphold and sustain us, enabling us to act and helping us to achieve salvation. Catholics believe that recognizing our total dependence on our Creator is a source of wisdom, joy, and confidence.

Creation is not perfect. The Church speaks of it as being a journey. God guides his creatures on his journey by means of divine providence, his way of governing creation. Scripture teaches that this providence is concrete and immediate, and that God cares for all, from the greatest to the smallest, here and now. Jesus taught his followers not to worry: “So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ … Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides” (Matthew 6:31–33).

A Gift of Free Will

God also granted us the free will to act on our own, to make our own decisions, to interact with each other, and to advance his plan. He entrusted us with having dominion over the earth. In return, our job is to complete the work of creation and to perfect it for the good of all.

Physical evil, suffering, disease, and natural calamities exist because the world is still in flux and is not yet perfect. Moral evil, which is considered to be far worse than physical evil, also exists since men and angels, both intelligent creatures with free will, have the power to make choices and, hence, to go astray. However, the Church teaches that God, through his providence, can bring good from evil, even a moral evil caused by his creatures. From the murder of Christ, caused by the sins of all men, God brought about his glorification and the redemption of man.

The Catholic faith accepts that God's power is mysterious, and we don't always understand his ways. God allows evil and suffering in the world, and he allowed his own Son to suffer and be crucified. But through the Resurrection, God showed that he could conquer suffering and evil. Paradoxically, it requires humility and faith to begin to feel or to draw close to God's power. The Virgin Mary modeled this faith with her words, “Nothing will be impossible with God.”