A few weeks before the apostolic exhortation's publication, the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released a letter to Catholic bishops, titled
Placuit Deo (
It pleased God), "on certain aspects of Christian salvation", which anticipated a central theme of
Gaudete et exsultate, describing the modern forms of
Pelagianism and of
Gnosticism. Francis sees these two ancient heresies in the current notion of holiness based on following certain abstract rules, "an obsession with the law, ... a punctilious concern for the Church’s liturgy", while ignoring the messiness of real life and the suffering of people at the margins. If the Church does not open itself to change, it can become a "museum piece" out of touch with a lively charity which is the foundation of the Christian life: "Once we believe that everything depends on human effort as channeled by ecclesial rules and structures, we unconsciously complicate the Gospel and become enslaved to a blueprint that leaves few openings for the working of grace." == Publication ==