why do catholics believe god is all powerful (omnipotent) ?

Suffering results from human sin, from our misuse of freedom. In the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve—and their descendants—are given the awesome gift of freedom and moral decisionmaking. That means we human beings are able to make choices that hurt ourselves and others, and we often do. Adam and Eve chose to disobey the life-nourishing will of God. That decision brought brokenness and death in many forms upon themselves and upon their children, who continue making destructive choices of their own.

We can't blame God for the human pain and misery flowing from these choices. Moreover, God so respects our human freedom that he does not interfere with our decisions even if immense harm is to result. Therefore, it doesn't make sense to blame God for the millions who died, for example, in Hitler's death camps in Nazi Germany. Yet some people are inclined to ask, to quote Rabbi Kushner: "Where was God while all this was going on? Why did he not intervene to stop it? Why didn't he strike Hitler dead in 1939 and spare millions of lives and untold suffering?" The simple answer is that God does not control our choosing between good and evil.

If God forced us to be good, moreover, what kind of goodness or virtue would that be? The fact that God lets us remain free despite the possibility of destructive choices demonstrates the amazing trust he places in us. And yet the cost is tremendous— in terms of the human suffering resulting from the sinful choices of Adam and Eve as well as from our own.

2. Suffering results from an imperfect world. God put Adam and Eve in charge of the fish, the birds and animals and told them to bring the earth "under their control" (Genesis 1:28). In other words, human beings are to be cocreators with God. This implies that creation is not finished. God has drawn an amazing amount of order out of chaos, but creation—"the process of replacing chaos with order"—goes on.

<<Why do catholics believe god is all powerful (omnipotent)?>>

All Christians believe God is All-Powerful, not just the Catholic Christians. Why? Because it's True.

<<yeah I do understand what you mean but then this is the problem which many christians face, that if he is truly omnipotent then why does he let all the suffering in the world exist?>>

Part of God's Plan is to allow evil for the purpose of bringing a Greater Good out of it.

Just about any Christian denomination believes that God is Omnipotent not just Catholics.

As to why? Well any being that can speak the universe into existence would be considered omnipotent.

This is a belief that is common to most major religions.

Catholics believe it for the same reason others do: God is the master of all creation. This is a basic tenant of the religion.

Suffering exists because of sin, which is caused by us. To wipe out sin is to wipe out us. The way God fixed it is through the death and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ.

God bless.

This is not a unique belief for Christians only. Please study all religions a little more carefully and you will find this belief to be true for all believers of God. This name can only be applied to one which is all powerful & all knowing.

Because they accept the dictionary definition of a monotheistic God.

Not only Catholics my friend; Muslims and Jews also believe this. If you are atheist, you won't believe this.

Isn't that what all the religious freaks at large believe? I didn't think it was a claim exclusive to the Cathewlics

If a god wasn't would he she or it be considered a god?