"Felix culpa" - is it correct? The Easter hymn Exultet speaks about felix culpa (&quot;happy fault&quot;):

O felix culpa,
quæ talem ac tantum méruit habére Redemptórem!
 O happy fault 
that earned for us so great, so glorious a Redeemer!

Does it mean that the first sin was good for something?
In context, the hymn is saying the 'fortunate fault' brought about the greater good, salvation from Jesus.

It traces its idea back to Augustine, who wrote:


  For God judged it better to bring good out of evil than not to permit any evil to exist. (Enchiridion 8)