Catholic Dictionary

Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

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DESTINY

In general, the preordained order of events. Human destiny, therefore, is the divine ordering of all secondary causes by God leading to the goal of human existence, which is the heavenly possession of God. But always this destiny is conditional, depending on one's voluntary co-operation with divine grace. In pagan terms destiny is the fate to which a person is necessarily predestined. (Etym. Latin de, down + stanare, to cause to stand: destinare, to destine, resolve firmly.)

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