Father Fortea, does “infinite evil” exist?
No, evil is limited. Evil always exists in a finite being; it does not exist in itself. While an infinite being (i.e., God) can exist, infinite evil cannot because it is merely a lack (or privation) of a good that should be present in a being.
But, one may ask, couldn’t an infinite being deform itself infinitely? Here’s the problem: to degrade itself, this infinite being would have to desire something disordered. Having all the fullness of being in itself, it cannot desire anything outside of itself. As such, the possibility of an infinite lack (i.e., evil) in an infinite being is logically and metaphysically impossible.
Thus, temptation is impossible for God. He cannot sin since nothing can attract Him to evil. God cannot desire anything outside of Himself.
Editor’s Note:
To learn more about spiritual warfare and demonology, Catholic Spiritual Direction recommends Fr. José Antonio Fortea’s excellent book Interview With An Exorcist – An Insider’s Look at the Devil, Demonic Possession, and the Path to Deliverance.
Father José Antonio Fortea Cucurull is a priest, exorcist, and writer from Spain. He has published many books, some of which have been translated from Spanish into English, and has spoken at various venues in the United States. His most famous title is the Summa Daemoniaca, currently available only in Spanish. His book Exorcistica is a supplemental publication of Summa Daemoniaca.
To see many other posts on spiritual warfare and demonology, please click on the following link to see all our posts in this series: Spiritual Warfare and Demonology Posts (and Their Links) on SpiritualDirection.com
