In a series of excerpts from Pope Francis exhortation on holiness is nothing about Pelagianism (belief in do-it-yourself salvation) or Gnosticism (clinging to parts of revelation said to be known to only a few).
In that respect, the series, an Opus Dei product, is a blessing, lest we miss the good parts, distracted by Francis’ untoward and unfair characterizations of traditionalist and other Catholics who disagree with him.
I especially like this which the series includes:
14. To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest or a religious. We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much time in prayer. That is not the case. We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves.
Actually, however, I do think the faithful are beyond thinking holiness is exclusive to contemplative religious or others of religious vocation. In fact, in churches I have been attending in the last 65 years, I can’t recall any preacher ever talking that way.
What or whom Francis has in mind escapes me, especially in an age of clerical and other church scandals of all kinds, including in the Vatican, where frankly he seems to have given up the reform agenda with which he began his tenure.
Meanwhile, we can profit from his exhortation keeping in mind the old nostrum, God writes straight with crooked lines. Applying it to ourselves while we’re at it.
Blithe Spirit 