Predestination: Catholics

What is the Catholic Church's position in regards to predestination? Is it doctrine or heresy? Read on to find out.

The Roman Catholic church offers its view in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Several of the parts relate to election and predestination. Here are two of them.

#599

Jesus' violent death was not the result of chance in an unfortunate coincidence of circumstances, but is part of the mystery of God's plan, as St. Peter explains to the Jews of Jerusalem in his first sermon on Pentecost: "This Jesus [was] delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God." [Acts 2:23] This Biblical LANGUAGE does not mean that those who handed him over were merely passive players in a scenario written in advance by God. [Cf. Acts 3:13]

#600

To God, all moments of time are present in their immediacy. When therefore he establishes his eternal plan of 'predestination', he includes in it each person's free response to his grace: 'In this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.' [Acts 4:27-28; cf. Ps 2:1-2] For the sake of accomplishing his plan of salvation, God permitted the acts that flowed from their blindness. [cf. Mt 26:54; Jn 18:36; 19:11; Acts 3:17-18]