Short Answers to Simple Questions | June 30, 2021

The Jesuits have been the source of controversy at multiple points in Church history, and their "liberal" methods aren't limited to theology following practice, and in some instances their actions have been much more leftist (at least in appearance) than that. The Jesuits today are seen (as a group, BIG overgeneralization incoming) as a liberalizing force in the Church, which is a problem due to Catholicism having its roots in the teachings of Christ, and being as a result fundamentally traditional. To give an exaggerated example that highlights thd importance of theology- if you convert someone to Catholicism by telling them rape and murder are pleasing to God and that Jesus was not God, you havent really converted them to Catholicism at all.

Some Jesuit theology has been problematic, as can be seen in the Jesuit's view on divine grace during the De Auxiliis controversy. The Jesuit view, called Molinism, suggests that God foresees whether or not His efficacious grace will be accepted or rejected and grants it accordingly, which seems to suggest that God learns something from creatures, an idea completely foreign to Thomistic thought.

Opinions on the root of the current problem with the Jesuits vary. Some hold them in high regard historically due to their role in the Counter-"Reformation" and the extreme sanctity and holiness of their founder, while others would suggest that there are more fundamental problems with the Jesuits. To be sure, not every Jesuit is bad, and to condemn all Jesuits would be nonsensical.

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