NOTIFICATION ON THE WORKS OF FR. JON SOBRINO

As reported here on March 9 (and then on March 11), the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released today a:

NOTIFICATION ON THE WORKS OF FR. JON SOBRINO, S.I.: "JESUCRISTO LIBERADOR. LECTURA HISTÓRICO-TEOLÓGICA DE JESÚS DE NAZARET" (MADRID, 1991) AND "LA FE EN JESUCRISTO. ENSAYO DESDE LAS VÍCTIMAS" (SAN SALVADOR, 1999)

Introduction

1. After a preliminary examination of the books Jesucristo liberador. Lectura histórico-teológica de Jesús de Nazaret (Jesus the Liberator) and La fe en Jesucristo. Ensayo desde las víctimas (Christ the Liberator) by Father Jon Sobrino, SJ, 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 abovementioned books was sent to the Author through the Reverend Father Peter Hans Kolvenbach, SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus.

In March of 2005, Father 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 23 November 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. Although the preoccupation of the Author for the plight of the poor is admirable, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has the obligation to indicate that the aforementioned works of Father Sobrino contain notable discrepancies with the faith of the Church.

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. One must note that on some occasions the erroneous propositions are situated within the context of other expressions which would seem to contradict them³, but this is not sufficient to justify these propositions. The Congregation does not intend to judge the subjective intentions of the Author, but rather has the duty to call to 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.

Read full text here. (Español; Italiano; Português)

Read Explanatory Note here. (Español; Italiano; Português)

Archbishop: Sobrino punished by CDF

Fernando Sáenz Lacalle, the archbishop of San Salvador (El Salvador), where Spanish "Liberation theologian" Jon Sobrino, SJ, resides, confirmed today that the Vatican has sanctioned him. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has notified Sobrino of the prohibition from teaching in any Catholic center "while he does not revise his conclusions; the divinity of Jesus Christ is a fundamental part of our faith, that [He] truly is the Son of God made Man".

Saénz, also a Spaniard, confirmed the information in a press conference held after Sunday Mass in the Metropolitan Cathedral, adding that "his writings have been studied for a long time [in the Vatican] and that warnings were issued years ago".

"What the Holy See states," said Sáenz, "is that the conclusions of the theological studies on Christ which Father Sobrino has published are not in agreement with the doctrine of the Church and that he will not be able to teach theology in any Catholic center [of studies] while he does not revise [such] conclusions."

"I pray to the Lord for Father Sobrino, so that he will be docile to the teachings of the Church and revise his conclusions," said the Archbishop, who added, at the behest of a journalist, that the heterodox conclusions of Sobrino are precisely those according to which Jesus Christ was "conscious of His humanity, but not of His divinity", an opinion which "is not Catholic."

Source: EFE news agency; tip: Periodista Digital.

Will the CDF warn Jon Sobrino?

The Spanish daily El Mundo reports that one of the most famous surviving "Liberation theologians", Jon Sobrino, SJ, will be publicly rebuked by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in a note to be published on March 15 (or some other time in the next few weeks), the first public note of the kind in years.

Sobrino was asked to clarify and rectify some concepts on the "divine conscience" of the "historical Jesus", and would have refused to do so, according to the report, referring his defense to the Superior General of the Society of Jesus.

Source: Periodista Digital