Introduction
Evil, that insidious shadow that seems to infiltrate every corner of the world, is a mystery that has perplexed humanity since the dawn of thought. For Leonardo Castellani, evil is not merely a phenomenon to be described; it is an abyss that demands confrontation, a void that resonates with the echo of God’s absence. In his works, Castellani approaches evil with the force of one who is unafraid to descend into the heart of darkness to glimpse the light that inevitably lies at the end. This article seeks not only to explain evil from Castellani’s perspective but to plunge into the depth of his thought, allowing ourselves to be shaken by the intensity of his reflections.
Evil as a Void: “Evil is Nothingness”
Leonardo Castellani, faithful to the tradition of Saint Thomas Aquinas, describes evil as a “nothingness” that lacks its own substance. In his work “The Apocalypse of Saint John,” Castellani comments: “Evil is not something created, it has no entity in itself. It is a lack, a black hole in the luminous fabric of the universe.” Here, Castellani reminds us that evil, in its purest essence, is nothing more than the absence of good, a void where the light of God has been rejected.
Saint Thomas Aquinas stated: “Evil is the deprivation of a due perfection” (Summa Theologiae, I, q. 48, a. 1), and Castellani takes up this idea, bringing it to a more existential terrain: “Deprivation is not merely a lack; it is a wound in the substance of being, a silent cry that clamors for redemption.” This cry, according to Castellani, echoes in every corner of the world, from the most everyday injustices to the great catastrophes of history.
The Reality of Evil: “A Mystery of Iniquity”
For Castellani, evil is not a mere theoretical absence; it is a palpable reality that manifests itself in pain, suffering, and injustice. In “Christ, Will He Return or Not?”, Castellani reflects: “Evil has a reality that we cannot deny, even if that reality is no more than the face of an absence. It is a mystery, a mystery of iniquity that can only be understood in the light of the cross.”
Saint Augustine, in his “City of God,” addresses this mystery when he says: “God would not allow evil if He did not know that He could bring a greater good out of it” (The City of God, XI, 22). Castellani, in harmony with this vision, states: “Evil is the price of freedom, and freedom is the highest reflection of the image of God in man. But that freedom, when it deviates, can turn good into hell. And yet, even in that hell, God’s mercy is revealed as the ultimate refuge.”
Evil and Freedom: “The Tragedy of Free Will”
In Castellani’s work, human freedom is the theater where the tragedy of evil is played out. The possibility of choosing evil is, according to Castellani, the inherent risk of the greatness of freedom. In “The Parables of Christ,” Castellani writes: “Man is free to love, and that freedom implies the possibility of hatred. Here lies the drama of existence: evil is nothing more than the consequence of misused freedom, a risk that God allows so that true love may be possible.”
Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P., in his work “Divine Providence and Trust in God,” holds: “God allows evil because He wanted a universe where creatures were truly free, capable of loving Him or rejecting Him” (Divine Providence, Chap. IV). Castellani, delving deeper into this idea, asserts: “Freedom without risk is not freedom. God wanted man to be free, and in that freedom, man found the possibility of his ruin. But also, and more importantly, he found the possibility of his salvation.”
This freedom, which Castellani describes with a mixture of fear and reverence, is the source of both evil and good. It is in man’s free choice that evil can manifest, but it is also there where the key to redemption is found. In “The Gospel of Jesus Christ,” Castellani observes: “Man, in his freedom, can descend into hell, but he can also rise to the heavens. This is the paradox of evil: it is through evil that man can find the way back to good if he accepts grace.”
The Redemption of Evil: “The Mystery of the Cross”
Castellani’s vision of evil culminates in the cross. For him, the cross is the definitive answer to the problem of evil, a mystery that can only be resolved in the redemptive sacrifice of Christ. In “Sunday Sermons,” Castellani writes: “Evil finds its limit on the cross. It is there that evil is absorbed, where nothingness is filled by the infinite love of God. The cross is the answer to the cry of evil because it is the supreme manifestation of good.”
Saint Thomas Aquinas affirmed: “The good of grace in one person is greater than the natural good of the whole universe” (Summa Theologiae I-II, q. 113, a. 9), and Castellani, commenting on this idea, says: “Evil, no matter how great, is limited. Good, on the other hand, is infinite. And the cross is proof that good triumphs over evil, not by force but by love.”
For Castellani, the cross is not just a symbol of redemption but a living reality that continues to operate in the world. In “The Apocalypse of Saint John,” he concludes: “Evil may have its moment, but the cross has eternity. And in that eternity, good not only conquers evil but transforms it into a means for divine glory.”
Conclusion: “The Light in the Darkness”
Leonardo Castellani presents us with a picture of evil that is as terrifying as it is hopeful. Evil is real, it is deep, it is an abyss, a black hole in the luminous fabric of the universe. But ultimately, it is the nothingness that cannot prevail against the fullness of good. Castellani calls us not to flee from evil (although we do have the obligation, under penalty of grave sin, to distance ourselves from proximate occasions of mortal sin), but to confront it with the certainty that, in Christ, evil has already been defeated. The cross is the definitive sign of this victory, where the infinite love of God absorbs and transfigures darkness into light, emptiness into fullness, and death into life.
In a world that seems increasingly plunged into darkness, Castellani reminds us that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). The cross is the tangible proof that evil is ephemeral, while good is eternal. In the cross, the nothingness of evil is consumed by the totality of divine love, and it is in this light that we find not only the answer to evil but the hope of redemption.
Bibliographical References
1. Castellani, Leonardo. The Apocalypse of Saint John. Ediciones Dictio, 1980.
2. Castellani, Leonardo. Christ, Will He Return or Not? Editorial Vórtice, 1967.
3. Castellani, Leonardo. The Parables of Christ. Ediciones Losada, 1946.
4. Castellani, Leonardo. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Editorial Theoría, 1952.
5. Castellani, Leonardo. Sunday Sermons. Ediciones Gente, 1960.
6. Saint Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologiae, translated by Antonio de la Torre, BAC, Madrid, 2001.
7. Saint Augustine of Hippo. Confessions. Editorial Ciudad Nueva, Madrid, 2009.
8. Saint Augustine of Hippo. The City of God. Editorial Tecnos, Madrid, 2010.
9. Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. Divine Providence and Trust in God. Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, Madrid, 1959.
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