Dictionary
A modern dictionary of Catholic terms, both common and obscure. Find accurate definitions of words and phrases.
CHANCE
That which is thought to happen without apparent purpose. But from the standpoint of the Catholic faith nothing ever merely happens; everything has a divinely ordained purpose because it is somehow part of God's universal providence. Chance, therefore, is the admission of ignorance as to why something unexplainable takes place, rather than a denial that every event has a reason for taking place. (Etym. Latin cadere, to fall.)
All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.
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