Catholic Church

What is necessary for salvation?  Is it “faith and works” as Catholics teach?  Or is it “faith alone” as many Protestants teach?  Or do they mean the same thing?  They might.  Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t.  Let’s try to clarify at the chance of a tiny ecumenical revival.

Here is the kind of belief in “faith alone” that is not consistent with Catholic teaching:

“If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone, so that thus he understands nothing else is required to cooperate in order to obtain the grace of justification, and that it is not in any way necessary that he be prepared and disposed by the action of his own will, let him be anathema.” – Canon 9, Trent’s Decree on Justification

(FYI – Anathema is a solemn declaration declaring that something contradicts Catholic faith and doctrine)

The key here depends on what the person defines “faith alone” as.  Do they literally mean that no other cooperation on their part is required to receive the grace of justification other than faith?  Or do they include some other things inherent to that “faith?” [Keep Reading]

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