Historic Catholic-Lutheran Accord

Q: I heard that in October the pope will sign a document that is intended to unite all Christians under one umbrella regardless of denomination. Could you please explain what this means to our Catholic faith? Is there a compromise here regarding the Catholic traditions and beliefs? Where can I find more information on this subject?

A: I think you have been hearing about a historic agreement between Roman Catholics and Lutherans—not a document to unite all Christians. A Joint Declaration on Justification was scheduled to be signed in Augsburg, Germany, on October 31, 1999, on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation.

This document reflects 30 years of ecumenical dialogue between these two Churches and ends a 400-year-old doctrinal dispute. The Holy See’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity helped develop this joint declaration, which has been approved by the Holy See’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and by Pope John Paul II. I do not know if the pope himself intends to sign it.

Justification is the teaching about how people are saved. This teaching was probably the most basic difference between Roman Catholics and Martin Luther in the 16th century.

The joint declaration says: “The understanding of the doctrine of justification set forth in this declaration shows that a consensus in basic truths exists between Lutherans and Catholics [#40]....The teaching of the Lutheran churches presented in this declaration does not fall under the condemnations from the Council of Trent. The condemnations in the Lutheran Confessions do not apply to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church presented in this declaration [#41].”

The Lutheran World Federation represents 58 million of the world’s 61 million Lutherans; this document was approved according to official procedures of that federation and the Holy See.

When the joint declaration was approved in June 1998, both sides identified issues needing resolution before the declaration could be accepted as an official statement for these Christians. A further “Common Statement” and “Annex” were released by both sides on June 11, 1999; they are part of the document to be signed in Augsburg, Germany, where the foundational Lutheran Augsburg Confession on justification was drawn up in 1530.

The following are two key passages: “Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ’s saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works”(#15); and “Grace, as fellowship of the justified with God in faith, hope and love, is always received from the salvific and creative work of God. But it is nevertheless the responsibility of the justified not to waste this grace but to live in it. The exhortation to do good works is the exhortation to practice the faith” (“Annex,” #2D).

You can be sure that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has very carefully carried out its responsibilities and would not have approved this new document if it compromised the Catholic faith.

Your best source of information will be your diocesan newspaper, Catholic magazines and official Catholic and Lutheran publications. You can find the text for this joint declaration at www.zenit.org/english on the Internet or at a public library.

Since many Protestants other than Lutherans consider the Augsburg Confession a foundational document, they will surely take notice of this joint declaration.