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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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.)