De Auxiliis Controversy

[Kephapaulos]

What is your take on the De Auxiliis controversy, Geremia? I gathered from Dr. Alan Fimister in the Sensus Fidelium Ecumenical Councils series that the Dominicans have the best solution but that the Augustinians had the best sounding name for their solution. Also, I thought that the Jesuit Molina's Molinism was condemned, unless I am thinking of another Molina.

Would Fr. Scheeben be good to read to understand the doctrine of grace too?

[Geremia]

the Jesuit Molina's Molinism was condemned

He has other condemned propositions (Denzinger 1221-1288), but the Church has not pronounced on the Dominican vs. Jesuit debate on the efficacy of grace.

Can efficacious grace be rejected?
Thomists believe that efficacious grace cannot be rejected, whereas Molinists think it can. The Church has not yet decided on the question.
From Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange's Grace, introduction:

these contradictory propositions: "Grace is intrinsically efficacious," and "Grace is not intrinsically efficacious," cannot be true at the same time or false at the same time; one is true, the other is false. The first is maintained by Thomism, the second by Molinism and likewise by the congruism of Suarez. Which, then, is true remains to be discovered.

Continue reading here.
cf. St. Robert Bellarmine's congruism solution

Basically, Thomists say we can in no way change God's mind or influence Him, because he is Pure Actuality (no potentiality; He cannot change). Molinists think there is a scientia media ("mediated knowledge") by which God foresees whether we will reject His efficacious grace or not and He decides to grant it or not accordingly (i.e., based on what free decision we make); this scientia media seems to put potentiality into God.
See PDF pp. 231ff. of Garrigou-Lagrange's God: His Existence and His Nature: A Thomistic Solution of Certain Agnostic Antinomies (vol. 2):

• St. Thomas & Neomolinism: A Synthesis of the Doctrine of St. Thomas on These Questions Apropos of a New Presentation of the Scientia Media

[Geremia]

What is your take on the De Auxiliis controversy, Geremia?

recently-published, open-access article, which cites Del Prado, O.P. and Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.:

• David Torrijos-Castrillejo, "A Thomistic Account of Human Free Will and Divine Providence: Pedro de Ledesma and the De Auxiliis Controversy (EPUB)," Religions 13, no. 4 (April 2022): 375–83, https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13040375.

[Kephapaulos]

Thank you for the link! In light of still present talks about it, would that mean that the past command pontiff who put a halt to the De auxiliis dispute is no longer canonically in force? Perhaps one could check the 1917 or 1983 codes.

[Geremia]

In light of still present talks about it, would that mean that the past command pontiff who put a halt to the De auxiliis dispute is no longer canonically in force?

"Congregatio de Auxiliis", Astrain, S.J., Catholic Encyclopedia:

[Pope Paul V,] aiming at the restoration of peace and charity between the religious orders, forbade by a decree of the Inquisition (1 December, 1611) the publication of any book concerning efficacious grace until further action by the Holy See. The prohibition remained in force during the greater part of the seventeenth century.