Did God create the universe out of pre-existing matter?
No. The Catholic Church dogmatically teaches that God created everything out of nothing (in Latin, 'creatio ex nihilo'). God did not need any pre-existing material, tool, or blueprint. Out of His absolute freedom and overflowing love, He willed heaven and earth, visible and invisible, into being by His Almighty Word. This shows that the universe is not an accident or an illusion, but an intentional gift possessing inherent dignity, order, and goodness, sustained at every moment by God's preserving power.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 296-298
- 2 Maccabees 7:28
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.