How are we to explain suffering?

[swathen57]

Our youngest is 21 years old. He has never questioned his faith until now. A young man he works with has a 3 year old daughter who has a large brain tumor. He was just home for his supper break and asked me “Why does God allow things like this to happen?” I tried to explain that we don’t understand the reason for suffering and that I understood how he feels. I said that sometimes, good things happen out of bad situations. My only real answer to him was that you have to believe that there is a reason to all the suffering in the world and that we will not understand it, until our next life. Does anyone have some advice that I could give him? Thanks.

 

[Leonie_Ambrose]

swathen57,

The following links should assist you in better understanding the Catholic Church’s teaching on suffering. If you have any further questions or concerns that are not answered by these links, please [contact Catholic Answers (http://www.catholic.com/home/contact.asp) directly.

**Recommended Reading:
**

• Why does a loving God allow children to suffer and die?
• Why does God allow people to be abused?
• ** Free Will and Omniscience**
• ** Why and how is suffering redemptive?**