The Lutheran-Catholic joint declaration which was signed in Augsburg in November of 1999: "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 recive the Holy Spirit"What part of Trent does it contradict? From Trent:The above declaration contradicts the Gospel as well as the documents of the Council of Trent.
The Synod furthermore declares, that in adults, the beginning of the said Justification is to be derived from the prevenient grace of God, through Jesus Christ, that is to say, from His vocation, whereby, without any merits existing on their parts, they are called; that so they, who by sins were alienated from God, may be disposed through His quickening and assisting grace, to convert themselves to their own justification, by freely assenting to and co-operating with that said grace: in such sort that, while God touches the heart of man by the illumination of the Holy Ghost, neither is man himself utterly without doing anything while he receives that inspiration, forasmuch as he is also able to reject it; yet is he not able, by his own free will, without the grace of God, to move himself unto justice in His sight.And whereas the Apostle saith, that man is justified by faith and freely, those words are to be understood in that sense which the perpetual consent of the Catholic Church hath held and expressed; to wit, that we are therefore said to be justified by faith, because faith is the beginning of human salvation, the foundation, and the root of all Justification; without which it is impossible to please God, and to come unto the fellowship of His sons: but we are therefore said to be justified freely, because that none of those things which precede justification-whether faith or works-merit the grace itself of justification. For, if it be a grace, it is not now by works, otherwise, as the same Apostle says, grace is no more grace.
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By the way, as the wall Street Journal (who LOVES John paul II) reported at the time "it effectively concedes the theological debate to Luther"Ah yes, the Wall Street Journal. Is that your normal source for theology? It is not mine.
Dominus Vobiscum
patent +AMDG