Father Fortea, what is the process that leads to eternal death? As St. James teaches, “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15). With great insight, these two
Father Fortea, how many of our temptations come from demons? No one can say what percentage of our temptations comes from demons and what percentage comes from our own weakness. It is true that the devil can tempt us at our weakest point, i.e., with those sins he knows we are particularly vulnerable to committing.
Father Fortea, is God’s greatest creation Lucifer or the Blessed Virgin Mary? Before this question can be answered, we have to understand that Lucifer (which means “morning star”) was the angelic name of that angel before he rebelled against God and became a demon. I say “angel” because, while most theologians consider Lucifer to be
Difference between Magic and Religion Father Fortea, what is the difference between magic and religion? When we speak here of magic we are not referring to the popular art of the “magician” who pulls a rabbit out of a hat or makes things (apparently) disappear. Such “magicians” are just entertainers – illusionists – who use
Father Fortea, what is the greatest evil? According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the greatest evil is sin (CCC 1488). Since God is love and sin leads to the rejection of His love, sin inevitably leads to hatred – of God, of humanity, of those around us, and of ourselves. Those who allow
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
Father Fortea, what are the types of evil? While the variety of particular evils is infinite, theologians typically distinguish between physical and moral evils. Remember our earlier definition of evil: the lack (or privation) of a good that should exist in a thing. Here’s a good example of a physical evil: the painting the Mona
Father Fortea, does God hate the demons? No. God, being perfect, is Love itself. The created world is God’s act of love, and as part of His creation, demons remain essentially good and loved by God. It is true, though, that God hates sin because it harms the perfection of His creation. Sin ultimately leads
Will Evil Exist Forever? An Exorcist Responds Will Evil Exist Forever? Father Fortea, will evil exist forever? Yes, in a certain sense. The clear teachings of Sacred Scripture and the Church affirm that both demons and condemned human beings will exist for all eternity in hell. In this sense evil will exist indefinitely. Evil will
What is Evil? Father Fortea, what is evil? Evil is the lack (or privation) of a good that should be present in a thing. For example, blindness is a physical evil because it is the absence of the ability to see, which is proper to a human being. In moral terms, sin is the absence
