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Skriven 2007-03-16 19:45:36 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service (Press Release)
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                               VIS-Press releases

NOTIFICATION CONCERNING THE WORKS OF FR. JON SOBRINO

VATICAN CITY, MAR 14, 2007 (VIS) - This morning, the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith published a Notification concerning certain works of Fr.
Jon Sobrino S.J. According to the note, which has been made public in various
languages including English, these works "contain propositions which are either
erroneous or dangerous and may cause harm to the faithful."

The Notification continues: "Fr. Sobrino manifests a preoccupation for the poor
and oppressed, particularly in Latin America. This preoccupation certainly is
shared by the whole Church.

"The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in its Instruction on
Christian liberty and liberation 'Libertatis conscientia,' indicated that
'human misery drew the compassion of Christ the Savior to take it upon Himself
and to be identified with the least of His brethren,' and that 'the
preferential option for the poor, far from being a sign of particularism or
sectarianism, manifests the universality of the Church's being and mission.
This option excludes no one. This is the reason why the Church cannot express
this option by means of reductive sociological and ideological categories which
would make this preference a partisan choice and a source of conflict.'

"Previously, this same Congregation in its Instruction on some aspects of
liberation theology, 'Libertatis nuntius,' observed that the warnings about
this theological trend contained in that document were not able to be
interpreted as a reproach to those who wish to be faithful to a 'preferential
option for the poor,' nor could they be an excuse for those who remain
indifferent to the grave problems of human misery and injustice.

"The citations clearly show the position of the Church with regard to this
complex problem: 'The evil inequities and oppression of every kind which
afflict millions of men and women today openly contradict Christ's Gospel and
cannot leave the conscience of any Christian indifferent.

"'The Church, in her docility to the Spirit, goes forward faithfully along the
paths to authentic liberation. Her members are aware of their failings and
their delays in this quest. But a vast number of Christians, from the time of
the Apostles onwards, have committed their powers and their lives to liberation
from every form of oppression and to the promotion of human dignity. The
experience of the saints and the example of so many works of service to one's
neighbor are an incentive and a beacon for the liberating undertakings that are
needed today'."

The Notification from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith then goes
on to affirm that "after a preliminary examination of the books 'Jesucristo
liberador. Lectura historico-teologica de Jesus de Nazaret' (Jesus the
Liberator) and 'La fe en Jesucristo. Ensayo desde las victimas' (Christ the
Liberator) by Fr. Jon Sobrino, S.J., the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith, because of certain imprecisions and errors found in them, decided to
proceed to a more thorough study of these works in October 2001. Given the wide
distribution of these writings and their use in seminaries and other centers of
study, particularly in Latin America, it was decided to employ the 'urgent
examination' as regulated by articles 23-27 of 'Agendi Ratio in Doctrinarum
Examine.'

"As a result of this examination, in July 2004 a list of erroneous or dangerous
propositions found in the above-mentioned books was sent to the author through
Fr. Peter Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus.

"In March of 2005, Fr. Jon Sobrino sent a 'Response to the text of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith' to the Congregation. This response
was studied in the Ordinary Session of the Congregation on November 23, 2005.
It was determined that, although the author had modified his thought somewhat
on several points, the response did not prove satisfactory since, in substance,
the errors already cited in the list of erroneous propositions still remained
in this text."

"For this reason, it was decided to publish this Notification, in order to
offer the faithful a secure criterion, founded upon the doctrine of the Church,
by which to judge the affirmations contained in these books or in other
publications of the author."

"The Congregation does not intend to judge the subjective intentions of the
author, but rather has the duty to call attention to certain propositions which
are not in conformity with the doctrine of the Church. These propositions
regard: (1) the methodological presuppositions on which the author bases his
theological reflection, (2) the Divinity of Jesus Christ, (3) the Incarnation
of the Son of God, (4) the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of
God, (5) the Self-consciousness of Jesus, and (6) the salvific value of His
Death.

"The Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI, at the audience granted to the ... Cardinal
Prefect on October 13, 2006, approved this Notification, adopted in the
Ordinary Session of this Congregation, and ordered it to be published."
CDF/NOTIFICATION/FR. SOBRINOVIS 070314 (820)

SUMMARY

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