Alabanza, Fatima Anne M.

Mitre, Ma. Cylene Grace A.

1908 CFE 103

Catholic Responses
● God has given people free will. He has shown people how they should obey the Ten
Commandments and follow Jesus' life and teaching. It is then up to human beings to decide
whether or not to follow God's instructions.
● God has a plan for people's lives that they may not always understand. This may include evil
and suffering but Christians should trust and have faith in God's plan.
● God wants people to follow the example of Jesus and help those who are suffering. God must
have a reason for allowing evil and suffering but the reason is beyond human understanding.
● Christians also pray for those who suffer and try to help them.
● Evil and suffering in this life is a preparation for Heaven. Evil and suffering give people a
chance to become better people and improve their souls. They believe that God will reward
them in heaven.
Pope John Paul II outlined the importance and role of suffering and evil and how love is borne
out of it in Salvifici Doloris, a document that responds to the problem of human evil and
suffering.
Catholics believe that love can arise from evil and suffering, and that love is an important part
of human life. The Catholic Church sees human suffering as a chance to follow the example of
Christ and believe that it is a part of God’s plan.
Molly: November 4, 2019
“I have been fighting depression for more than 10 years. Over a decade of late
nights and toxic behavior and having to pretend the next day that nothing is
wrong.”
Luke: October 23, 2019
“I was 23 years old, I had found the person I was going to spend the rest of my life
with, and I was feeling content… and then out of the blue, a bombshell came that
was going to massively affect my life. My wife, being caring and compassionate
person, tried to help a family member financially, and was left with their crippling
debts. We stuck together through the two years of fixing the damage, but it took
so much out of me emotionally. Sadly our relationship has never been the same.”
August 7, 2017
“Having mental health problems has always been the most isolating and difficult
part of my life. Most of my thoughts and feelings have been my secret, so as not
to look ‘strange’, ‘weak’ or ‘self-obsessed’. I worried I would be judged and
discriminated against. I worried I would become further isolated if I discussed it
and on top of that, I did not want my family and friends to worry themselves or
see me as a burden.”
July 21, 2017
“The first time I started experiencing severe mental health problems was when I
was in Year 10. I turned around to my teacher, A, and said ‘what is the point?’ –
that’s when I first started opening up about my problems.”
October 10, 2016
“Five years ago I experienced my first depressive episode. I felt so low inside that I
could not possibly picture a happy future for myself, and so I began to self-harm
and have thoughts to suicide. It affected my relationships with family and friends,
and I didn’t want to socialize with anyone.”