In Brief

In the creation of the world and of man, God gave the first and universal witness to his almighty love and his wisdom, the first proclamation of the “plan of his loving goodness”, which finds its goal in the new creation in Christ.

Though the work of creation is attributed to the Father in particular, it is equally a truth of faith that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit together are the one, indivisible principle of creation.

God alone created the universe, freely, directly and without any help.

No creature has the infinite power necessary to “create” in the proper sense of the word, that is, to produce and give being to that which had in no way possessed it to call into existence “out of nothing”.1

God created the world to show forth and communicate his glory. That his creatures should share in his truth, goodness and beauty—this is the glory for which God created them.

God created the universe and keeps it in existence by his Word, the Son “upholding the universe by his word of power”2, and by his Creator Spirit, the giver of life.

Divine providence consists of the dispositions by which God guides all his creatures with wisdom and love to their ultimate end.

Christ invites us to filial trust in the providence of our heavenly Father3, and St. Peter the apostle repeats: “Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.”4

Divine providence works also through the actions of creatures. To human beings God grants the ability to cooperate freely with his plans.

The fact that God permits physical and even moral evil is a mystery that God illuminates by his Son Jesus Christ who died and rose to vanquish evil. Faith gives us the certainty that God would not permit an evil if he did not cause a good to come from that very evil, by ways that we shall fully know only in eternal life.