杏MAP导航

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

Placuit Deo is a "beautiful expression of the Gospel," regarding two "current problems," says Dr Michael Sirilla, Director of Graduate Theology and Professor of Dogmatic Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.  is a Letter released on 2 March 2018 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and dated the 22 of February, the Feast of the Chair of Peter. It is addressed to the Bishops of the Catholic Church --and more generally, to all the faithful. This Documents highlights 鈥渟ome aspects of Christian salvation that can be difficult to understand today because of recent cultural changes.鈥� 

Main points

Dr Sirilla explains that Placuit Deo provides a response and meaning to two problems that 杏MAP导航 Francis has brought up several times in his pontificate, especially in and . He explains that the document correctly clarifies that these two problems, Neo-Pelagianism and Neo-Gnosticism, are not identical to their classical counterparts, but that there are 鈥減oints of contact.鈥� Dr Sirilla says that the document also interprets and communicates well 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� teaching in this area.

Neo-Pelagianism and Neo-Gnosticism

Dr Sirilla defines neo-pelagianism as the 鈥渆nd result of the modern project. We can save ourselves鈥� perhaps imitating Christ but not through his power at work in us. 鈥淲e ourselves attain salvation by our own efforts.鈥� Neo-Gnosticism is the 鈥渧iew that the flesh and the created order are meaningless and purposeless.鈥� Salvation is interior and subjective. 鈥淲e need to be liberated from the flesh and the created order and from its absurdity.鈥�

The response to these problems, provided in Placuit Deo is that 鈥渨e cannot save ourselves and the created order does have meaning.鈥� The Letter addresses Neo-Pelagianism by affirming what the Declaration Dominus Iesus already declared, that 鈥渟alvation for all humans is found only in Jesus Christ.鈥� How Jesus saves us is a response to Neo-Gnosticism鈥攈e does so 鈥減recisely in His flesh which He sacrificed on the cross.鈥� We receive this salvation sacramentally through the Church that Christ established. We receive divine life 鈥渂y means of the visible, tangible Jesus Christ in His mystical body, the Church. And the sacraments鈥�communicate grace visibly to us.鈥�

Why now?

Dr Sirilla thinks that this document was released now because 杏MAP导航 Francis has identified these two errors as a 鈥渞eal pastoral problem these days.鈥� He sees how the modern manifestation of Neo-Pelagianism has led us to believe that the individual is 鈥渞adically autonomous and we fail to recognize鈥� that we 鈥渄erive from God and others.鈥� Developing on the gnostic belief that fails to see that the 鈥渕aterial universe is meaningful and good,鈥� the neo-gnostic vision 鈥渟ees that the person should be liberated from and even perhaps control, dominate the otherwise meaningless material order.鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis is not the only modern 杏MAP导航 to address these issues. Both 杏MAP导航 John Paul II and 杏MAP导航 Benedict XVI did so as well, says Dr Sirilla.

Finally, Dr Sirilla describes the Letter as a 鈥渂eautiful expression of the Gospel solution to two current problems.鈥� It is written 鈥渨ith theological depth and yet in a way that鈥檚 accessible, and understandable, and moving and precise.鈥�