{"id":5589,"date":"2026-03-19T04:01:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/?p=5589"},"modified":"2026-03-19T04:01:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:01:41","slug":"can-god-do-everything-the-mystery-of-potential-omnipotence-that-challenges-our-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/can-god-do-everything-the-mystery-of-potential-omnipotence-that-challenges-our-faith\/","title":{"rendered":"Can God Do Everything? The Mystery of \u201cPotential Omnipotence\u201d That Challenges Our Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We live in an age where everything seems measurable, controllable, and explainable. However, when we step into the realm of God, we encounter a reality that surpasses every human framework. And one of the deepest\u2014and most misunderstood\u2014questions is this: what does it really mean that God is omnipotent?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here we encounter a key concept of classical theology, rigorously developed by Santo Tom\u00e1s de Aquino: potential omnipotence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get ready, because this is not an abstract topic without consequences. Understanding it can transform the way you trust, the way you pray\u2026 and the way you live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

1. The Misplaced Question: \u201cCan God Do Anything?\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You have probably heard questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • \u201cCan God create a stone so heavy that He cannot lift it?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \u201cCan God lie?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • \u201cCan God cease to exist?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    These questions seem profound\u2026 but they actually hide a fundamental mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Catholic theology, especially in the line of Santo Tom\u00e1s de Aquino, responds clearly:
    God can do everything\u2026 but everything that is possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And here is the key: not everything that can be said in words is truly \u201cpossible.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    2. What Is Potential Omnipotence?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cPotential omnipotence\u201d refers to this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    God has power over everything that is truly possible, that is, everything that does not involve contradiction.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    This means that God cannot \u201cdo\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Make a square circle<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Create something that both is and is not at the same time<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Cease to be God<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Not because He lacks power\u2026 but because these things are not realities\u2014they are absurdities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      As Santo Tom\u00e1s de Aquino explains in the Summa Theologica<\/em>:
      \u201cWhatever implies contradiction does not fall under divine omnipotence.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In other words:
      \ud83d\udc49 God is not limited\u2026
      \ud83d\udc49 rather, nothingness itself cannot be created\u2014not even by God.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      3. Biblical Foundation: An All-Powerful\u2026 and Coherent God<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Sacred Scripture strongly affirms God\u2019s omnipotence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cFor God all things are possible\u201d (cf. Gospel of Matthew 19:26)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      But it also reveals something essential:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cHe cannot deny Himself\u201d (cf. Second Letter to Timothy 2:13)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      This is not a limitation. It is a profound revelation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \ud83d\udc49 God cannot cease to be God<\/strong>
      \ud83d\udc49 He cannot act against His own nature, which is truth, goodness, and absolute being<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      4. The Genius of Aquinas: Potency and Act<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      To understand this better, we need to briefly enter a key distinction of Thomistic metaphysics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Potency<\/strong>: what can come to be<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Act<\/strong>: what already is<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        God, according to Santo Tom\u00e1s de Aquino, is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n

        Pure Act (Actus Purus)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

        This means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • He has no unrealized potential<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • He does not change<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • He does not \u201cbecome\u201d something different<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          So\u2026 how do we understand His omnipotence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \ud83d\udc49 Not as a capacity to change or evolve
          \ud83d\udc49 But as the absolute source of everything that can exist<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n\n\n\n

          5. Why Does This Matter Today?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          This may seem like a philosophical discussion\u2026 but it has very concrete implications in your daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          a) It Frees You from a Childish Faith<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Many lose faith because they believe in a mistaken idea of God:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • A capricious \u201cmagician\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • An arbitrary being<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Someone who could do any absurdity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            But the real God is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \ud83d\udc49 Perfectly rational<\/strong>
            \ud83d\udc49 Perfectly coherent<\/strong>
            \ud83d\udc49 Perfectly faithful<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            This strengthens faith. It does not weaken it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n\n\n\n

            b) It Teaches You to Trust Better<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            If God could contradict Himself, lie, or act arbitrarily\u2026
            \ud83d\udc49 how could you trust Him?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            But since He cannot:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \ud83d\udc49 His fidelity is absolute<\/strong>
            \ud83d\udc49 His promises are secure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            That is why Scripture insists:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n

            \u201cHeaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away\u201d (cf. Gospel of Matthew 24:35)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

            \n\n\n\n

            c) It Gives Meaning to Suffering<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            Here we enter a delicate question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \ud83d\udc49 If God is omnipotent, why does He allow evil?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Potential omnipotence gives us a clue:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • God can do everything that is possible<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • But He cannot make evil into good without destroying reality itself<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              However, He can do something greater:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \ud83d\udc49 Bring good out of evil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              The supreme example is the Cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n\n\n\n

              6. The Cross: Where Omnipotence Appears as Weakness<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              In Jesucristo we see something astonishing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              • God suffers<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • God dies<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • God appears powerless<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                But there a deeper truth is revealed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \ud83d\udc49 God\u2019s omnipotence is not that of domination\u2026 but of love<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                As San Pablo will say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n

                \u201cThe weakness of God is stronger than men\u201d (cf. First Letter to the Corinthians 1:25)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

                \n\n\n\n

                7. Practical Applications: Living from This Truth<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                How can you apply this to your life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                1. Stop asking for absurd things<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                Not everything you desire is truly good or possible.
                Learn to pray in truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n\n\n\n

                2. Trust in God\u2019s coherence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                God will not betray you.
                He will never act against the good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n\n\n\n

                3. Accept that not everything depends on miracles<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                God can work miracles\u2026
                but He usually acts through reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n\n\n\n

                4. Embrace mystery without falling into chaos<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                Faith is not irrational.
                It is supra-rational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n\n\n\n

                5. Discover true omnipotence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                It is not found in destruction\u2026
                \ud83d\udc49 It is found in loving to the very end<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n\n\n\n

                8. A Very Current Pastoral Warning<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                Today many dangerous ideas are spreading:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                • \u201cGod can will anything whatsoever\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • \u201cEverything is God\u2019s will without distinction\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • \u201cTruth changes\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  This is false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Divine omnipotence is not arbitrariness<\/strong>.
                  It is perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  And that implies something demanding:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \ud83d\udc49 God does not adapt to error\u2026 He calls us to the truth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n\n\n\n

                  9. Conclusion: A God Who Can Do Everything\u2026 Except Stop Loving You<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                  Potential omnipotence does not diminish God.
                  On the contrary:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \ud83d\udc49 It purifies Him from our human projections<\/strong>
                  \ud83d\udc49 It reveals Him as absolutely perfect<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  God can do everything that is real.
                  And the most real thing of all\u2026 is love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  So the real question is not:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \u274c \u201cCan God do anything?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  But:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \u2705 Am I willing to trust a God who never contradicts Himself\u2026 and who always acts for the good?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n\n\n\n

                  For Today\u2019s Meditation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                  \n

                  \u201cI am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?\u201d
                  (cf. Book of Jeremiah 32:27)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

                  The answer is clear:
                  \ud83d\udc49 Nothing is impossible for God\u2026
                  \ud83d\udc49 except ceasing to be who He is: Infinite Love.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  We live in an age where everything seems measurable, controllable, and explainable. However, when we step into the realm of God, we encounter a reality that surpasses every human framework. And one of the deepest\u2014and most misunderstood\u2014questions is this: what does it really mean that God is omnipotent? Here we encounter a key concept of …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5590,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[41,63],"tags":[1807],"class_list":["post-5589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-faith-and-culture","category-philosophy-and-faith","tag-potential-omnipotence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5589"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5591,"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5589\/revisions\/5591"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catholicus.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}