A letter addressed to the Bishops of the world and signed by Archbishop Luis Ladaria Ferrer SJ, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, clarifies how the ancient heresies of Pelagianism and Gnosticism are diffused in modern culture, and urges Christians to evangelize while engaging with those from other religions in a spirit of genuine dialogue.
The letter, consisting of six points, including an introduction and conclusion, outlines the errors of Pelagianism and Gnosticism in light of Christian doctrine.
The letter highlights the difficulty many have in accepting the teachings of Christianity in today's society.
On one hand, there is an “individualism centered on the autonomous individual which tends to see the human person as a being whose sole fulfillment depends only on his or her own strength.”
In this view, Christ inspires virtue but is not recognized as the one who transforms the human condition by incorporating mankind into a new, reconciled life with Our Heavenly Father.
On the other hand,there is a popular but merely interior vision of salvation marked by a strong personal conviction or feeling of being united to God but which does not take into account the need to accept, heal and renew our relationships with others and with the created world.
These have been two themes that are frequent and redundant in Pope Francis’ Pontificate.
At the beginning of his Pontificate, the Holy Father has spoken out about these two heresies, stating that Pelagianism and Gnosticism are two of the greatest temptations that lead the Church away from humility and beatitude.
The letter constitutes a concise capitulation of what Pope Francis has detailed to be at the heart of the resistance to embrace Jesus and His salvific mission which continues through the ministry of the Church.
And while it is addressed to the Bishops of the world, I fear that its publication on various social media platforms will be the source of much confusion and controversy especially with regard to what the letter has to say about the Church as the sole source of true redemption.
Salvation, the letter says, doesn't occur in just an interior manner, because Jesus was made flesh in order to communicate with mankind. And by becoming part of the human family, Jesus “has united himself in some fashion with every man and woman and has established a new kind of relationship with God, his Father, and with all humanity.”
The letter reaffirms that the place where humanity receives the salvation of Jesus “is the Church,” beginning with baptism and continuing through the other Sacraments.
Salvation cannot be achieved by one's own individual efforts alone, as neo-Pelagian thought would argue, but is instead found “in the relationships that are born from the incarnate Son of God and that form the communion of the Church.”
With the Sacraments, “Christians are able to live faithful to the flesh of Christ and, as a result, in fidelity to the kind of relationships that he gave us,” the letter said, explaining that under this rationale, care for those who are suffering is especially important, particularly through the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
The letter closes with an encouragement to the Bishops to establish a “sincere and constructive dialogue” with other religions, believing that God can lead all men of goodwill toward salvation in Christ.
The letter speaks the truth. It offers a lesson which the Bishops and the Catholic faithful need to hear and be reminded of often.
I am quite sure that there will be detractors among non-Christian faiths who will claim that the letter is insensitive to their beliefs and practices.
At a press conference following the letter's publication, Archbishop Ferrer addressed the fact this is the first major document on Christian salvation since Dominus Iesus in 2000, a controversial text in itself which was criticized for its condescension toward other religions. In the language of that document, non-Christians "objectively speaking are in a gravely deficient situation with regard to salvation."
Archbishop Ferrer stated that this letter, Placuit Deo, "does not wish to enter in discussion on the issues raised by Dominus Iesus."
He added, "Even though the letter does not delve into this issues, it doesn't mean that the teaching of the Church on this issue has changed. It remains the way it was, though analysed in greater depth."
Still, Archbishop Ferrer may well be surprised at the criticism that will come his way as a result of this letter.
I wonder what motivated both the content and timing of this letter and who is really behind it, whether it was written at the explicit direction of the Pope or whether Archbishop Ferrer felt compelled for whatever reason to pen this document.
I certainly encourage readers to take a look at the letter which can be found on the Vatican website.
Let us all take comfort and find blessed assurance knowing that, weak and sinful as we are, salvation is possible in our relationship to Christ and, for us who profess the Catholic Faith, through the ministry of His Church.
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