Free Republic

Modern Traditionalists generally admit the last five popes to have been heretics. Many of them - including Father Feeney, Saint Benedict Center, Most Holy Family Monastery and RJMI - consider popes from before Vatican II to have issued heretical statements. Could, then those popes who condemned Jansenism have been heretical? We shall consider this a step at a time.

Issue: How does the Catholic Church understand predestination? Response: Predestination is a term used to identify God’s plan of salvation, in which according to His own decree, He “accomplishes all things according to his will” (Eph. 1:11). God gives us the gift of salvation through grace and faith. In turn, we must use our free will to persevere in good works “prepared beforehand” by God Himself (Eph. 2:8-10; cf. Phil. 2:12, 13). Discussion: There are two opposite and equally erroneous positions about predestination that have always been rejected in authentic Catholic teaching. The first is that of the Pelagians.[1] Pelagius taught that...