Why did Christ descend into Hell ? A soteriological reading of Holy Saturday in Hans Urs von Balthasar.

Balthasar is known for his radical and controversial vision of the descensus Christi, that presents a suffering and passive Christ, sharing even in the poena danmi of the outcast, in order to save not only the gust of the Old Covenant but all men. The present article aims to evaluate this position. In order to do so, after a synthetic presentation of Balthasar's thesis and its Christological and Trinitarian framework, the author opts for a soteriological point of view, the only one that can make sense of the Balthasarian concept of Holy Saturday. If Christ saves us through vicarious representation and if Hell is first and foremost the locus of death, the Saviour must assume this condition and must do so for everyone, beyond the limits of historical time. However, soteriology also highlights the internal contradiction of making Christ share the definitive rejection of God of the outcast, as vicarious representation means on the contrary that Christ obeys and opens up to God pro nobis. If it can be disengaged from this final aspect, Balthasar's teaching could constitute a valuable contribution to a full understanding of the descensus.