Catholic Priest Tells Pope Salvation is By Grace Alone

"Knowing this, that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Galatians 2:16).


As a graduate of a Roman Catholic Parochial High School ( Detroit Holy Redeemer, 84'), I try to stay abreast of the recent developments in contemporary Roman Catholic Theology.

In reading the official Roman Catholic Catholicism, penned by current Pope Benedict XVI (the former theologian and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, Head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Catholic Faith), we read the following official doctrinal positions of the Catholic Church on justification;

From CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, Second Edition: ARTICLE 2GRACE AND JUSTIFICATION: sections delineated in blue numbers.

1993 Justification establishes cooperation between God's grace and man's freedom. On man's part it is expressed by the assent of faith to the Word of God, which invites him to conversion, and in the cooperation of charity with the prompting of the Holy Spirit who precedes and preserves his assent:

1997 Grace is a participation in the life of God. It introduces us into the intimacy of Trinitarian life: by Baptism the Christian participates in the grace of Christ, the Head of his Body. As an "adopted son" he can henceforth call God "Father," in union with the only Son. He receives the life of the Spirit who breathes charity into him and who forms the Church.

2003 Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us. But grace also includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us to associate us with his work, to enable us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the Church. There are sacramental graces, gifts proper to the different sacraments. There are furthermore special graces, also called charisms after the Greek term used by St. Paul and meaning "favor," "gratuitous gift," "benefit."53 Whatever their character - sometimes it is extraordinary, such as the gift of miracles or of tongues - charisms are oriented toward sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. They are at the service of charity which builds up the Church.54


These and other official doctrinal proclamations of the magisterium of the Catholic Church conclusively demonstrates unequivocally that the Roman Catholicism officially believes in synergistic justification, not monergism as the Holy Scriptures clearly teach (Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8-10 and Titus 3:5).

However, in a interesting turn of events, late last year, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the preacher of the papal household told Pope Benedict XVI and his closest aides, that Martin Luther was correct in his view of justification and that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. For the complete story:

http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=18021


Sincerely in Jesus Christ,

Ed Enochs