By Rev. Fr. Petros Mwale (Mzuzu Diocese – MALAWI)
INTRODUCTION
“Fr. Petros, I believe God’s love is unconditional, He is always good, all-powerful and controls the world. How come He allows His creatures suffer with Covid-19?” – Martin (Chipata Diocese Zambia).
RESPONSE
Dear Martin, the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is having many unfortunate consequences: unexpected deaths, sudden unemployment, strains on healthcare systems around the globe, economic near-collapse. In this global crisis, where is the all-powerful God?
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UNDERSTANDING COVID-19
Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus now called severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is transmitted from animals to humans. The illness was recently termed COVID-19 by World Health Organization (WHO), the new acronym derived from coronavirus disease 2019.
It was first identified amid an outbreak of respiratory illness cases in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. It was initially reported to the WHO on December 31, 2019. In January 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 an outbreak, a global health emergency. On 11th March 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. There are more than 3.5 million confirmed cases and 247,000 deaths worldwide. Covid-19 pandemic could make Christians questions Gods omnipotence, omnibenevolence or His omniscience. Where is God during this pandemic?
COVID-19 IN A PERFECT WORLD
God created the world according to His wisdom. It proceeds from God’s free will. His creation is ordered and good, for He arranged all things by measure, number, and weight, (Wisdom 11:20). Contrary to the perfect world created by good Lord, we find evil in it, the presence of Covid-19. Is God directly or indirectly responsible for human suffering caused by Covid-19?
There is a wide field of suffering where man himself bears the responsibility, and can in no way blame his Creator. If man is promiscuous and ends with a diseased body, or exploits the soil or pollutes the water supply or the atmosphere, man himself is responsible for its consequences. Whatever the Chinese did in Wuhan City (which caused Covid-19), God is not responsible but the Chinese themselves. God is in no way, directly or indirectly the cause of evil and suffering. He permits it, however because He respects the freedom of His creatures.
THE TEACHING OF THE CHURCH
Suffering, whether it is an instance of pain, or some disorder or decay in nature, has not been set there by God. Suffering does not come from God, even at the origin of the world, God made man capable of happiness through His intelligent and His love. At each stage of creation, God proclaimed that what He was doing was good, (Gen 1:1-31). For this very same God to be involved in the suffering of His creatures will be a performatory contradiction. Suffering is evil and God, under any circumstance, does not participate in evil acts. God only permits suffering in order to draw some greater good from it. However suffering cannot become good.
When suffering comes we must not let it conquer us, we must endure in love, and love can transform and overcome it. Such love is possible by the awareness that God is right there in the center of our sufferings and not sending it, not causing it, but helping us to endure and carry it. If God is anywhere, He is in the heart of human suffering (Acts 26:39).
CONCLUSION
God did not intend human suffering, we were created to enjoy everlasting happiness with Him in all eternity. God created a good world, without sin and evil, God did His part perfectly, and we messed it up. REMEMBER: Stay at home, Keep a safe distance, Wash hands often, Cover your cough, Sick? Seek medical attention.
Receive my Priestly Blessings from St. Cecilia Catholic Parish (Mzuzu Diocese – Mpherembe)
Rev. Fr. Petros Mwale – Feedback: +265884150185 (WhatsApp only)
SOURCES
Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Letter; “Salvific Doloris, The Christian Meaning of Human Suffering, Uganda: Marianun Press (1984).
Louis Evely, “Suffering,” Trans: Marie-Claunde Thompson, New York: Herder and Herder, Inc (1997).
E. Musa, R. Masese, “A Presentation on Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (Covid-19),” Lilongwe: Kamuzu College of Nursing (2020).
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