[kosta50]

841 in its entirety: The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham...Salvation, according to the Catechism, includes those who acknowledge God, and that is all that is needed to reach Heaven. It does not say that they must accept Jesus or the Church.

Church "lawyers" will argue that the plan of salvation is not the same as a de facto salvation, which is a rather weak argument. As you observe, 841 states that all those who so much as acknowledge the Creator are included in the plan. It was this type of post-Vatican II relativism (and communal prayers with pagans) that drove the Orthodox to pull out of the ecumenical movement.

The New Testament is quite clear that there is no other truth or way than in and through Christ, and that one comes to the Father only through Christ. So, where is this universal salvation coming from (and it is universal salvation because all religions "acknowledge" some sort of a Creator—heck, even atheists "acknowledge" that something caused all this to exist!) is beyond me.

But, as regards an eternal God,  a "plan," is an oxymoron. There is nothing to plan. God does not have to wait for the future to plan accordingly. If salvation is up to God and up to God only then salvation is a closed book, and has been for all eternity.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

AMEN.

[annalex]

The New Testament is quite clear that there is no other truth or way than in and through Christ, and that one comes to the Father only through Christ. So, where is this universal salvation coming from

If any Muslims are converted and saved, it is through Jesus, of course. Didn't I explain that everyone in Heaven is Catholic?

But, as regards an eternal God, a "plan," is an oxymoron

Kosta, you are not familiar with the term "plan" (or "economy" of salvation, are you? The Catechism has a whole section on it: Paragraph 2. Jesus Died Crucified , scroll down to "II. CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE DEATH IN GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION". At the end of it there is another reference to the universality of God's plan:

God takes the initiative of universal redeeming love

604 By giving up his own Son for our sins, God manifests that his plan for us is one of benevolent love, prior to any merit on our part: "In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins."⁴⁰⁸ God "shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."⁴⁰⁹

605 At the end of the parable of the lost sheep Jesus recalled that God's love excludes no one: "So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."⁴¹⁰ He affirms that he came "to give his life as a ransom for many"; this last term is not restrictive, but contrasts the whole of humanity with the unique person of the redeemer who hands himself over to save us.⁴¹¹ The Church, following the apostles, teaches that Christ died for all men without exception: "There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer."⁴¹²

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408 I John 4:10; 4:19.
409 Rom 5:8. 410 Mt 18:14.
411 Mt 20:28; cf. Rom 5:18-19.
412 Council of Quiercy (853): DS 624; cf. 2 Cor 5:15; I Jn 2:2.