Have Catholic views on Grace and Justification changed?
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At the council of Trent, the Catholic Church made several statements which seemingly reject the idea of Sola Gratia - Salvation by Grace alone. Examples include
> If anyone says that the justice received is not preserved and also not
> increased before God through good works, *but that those works are
> merely the fruits and signs of justification obtained*, but not the
> cause of its increase, let him be anathema.
And
> If any one saith, that man is truly absolved from his sins and
> justified, because he assuredly believed himself absolved and
> justified; or, that no one is truly justified but he who believes
> himself justified; and that, by this faith alone, absolution and
> justification are effected; let him be anathema
More recently however, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity released the "Joint Declaration of the Doctrine of Justification" which seems to reverse this by saying that Lutherans and Catholics share "a common understanding of our justification by God's grace through faith in Christ."
Does this represent an official doctrinal position by the Catholic Church and does it represent a change in Doctrine?
Asked by James Shewey
(2658 rep)
Apr 27, 2015, 04:43 AM
Last activity: Apr 27, 2015, 07:58 PM
Last activity: Apr 27, 2015, 07:58 PM