Does the Church teach

[Franz]

Please help, does the Catholic Church actually teach this?

The next distinction listed is Sola Fide - the belief in justification by faith alone. In Roman Catholicism, justification is a lifelong process that can only be achieved by participation in the seven catholic sacraments. The Catholic Encyclopedia explains the doctrinal difference this way:
It has reference to the personal appropriation of the Christian salvation, and aims to give all glory to Christ, by declaring that the sinner is justified before God (i.e. is acquitted of guilt, and declared righteous) solely on the ground of the all-sufficient merits of Christ as apprehended by a living faith, in opposition to the theory — then prevalent, and substantially sanctioned by the Council of Trent — which makes faith and good works co-ordinate sources of justification, laying the chief stress upon works. Protestantism does not depreciate good works; but it denies their value as sources or conditions of justification, and insists on them as the necessary fruits of faith, and evidence of justification.

 

[Apologia100]

Franz:

Please help, does the Catholic Church actually teach this?

The next distinction listed is Sola Fide - the belief in justification by faith alone. In Roman Catholicism, justification is a lifelong process that can only be achieved by participation in the seven catholic sacraments. The Catholic Encyclopedia explains the doctrinal difference this way:
It has reference to the personal appropriation of the Christian salvation, and aims to give all glory to Christ, by declaring that the sinner is justified before God (i.e. is acquitted of guilt, and declared righteous) solely on the ground of the all-sufficient merits of Christ as apprehended by a living faith, in opposition to the theory — then prevalent, and substantially sanctioned by the Council of Trent — which makes faith and good works co-ordinate sources of justification, laying the chief stress upon works. Protestantism does not depreciate good works; but it denies their value as sources or conditions of justification, and insists on them as the necessary fruits of faith, and evidence of justification.

Yes, that is what the Catholic Church teaches, and why are you using an anti-Catholic website as your main source of information? Try www.newadevent.com, where the actually Catholic Encyclopedia resides online, as well as the Summa Theologica. Your posting of the Contender Ministries website makes me think this is a troll.

 

[Dan-Man916]

Franz,

that pretty much sounds about right to me.

this one phrase:

"laying the chief stress upon works. "

I’ve enver heard is said that way, but that statement doesn’t contradict that salvation is by frace alone through faith.

The chief stress is upon works, because it is that way in which we cooperate with the free gift of salvation.

The grace unto salvation is given through the 7 Sacraments. Faith is supernatural gift also that is given by grace. We cannot have faith on our own. It is a gift that we are given. When we make an act of faith, we are cooperating with the faith already given. The technical term for this is prevenient grace (grace which comes before any act of faith or good works).

Even in our good works, opreveneient grace helps us to do the good work.

So in anything, faith or works, these act on account of God assisting us through grace.

God is the author and finisher of our salvation. Our role is in cooperating with that grace.

This is what that encyclopedia entry that you posted means. Does that help at all?

If it still confuses you, what is it that causes you trouble? maybe we can hash it our here.

 

[Dan-Man916]

ugh,
sorry for the horrible spelling.
“frace” should be “grace”.

 

[JimG]

Catholics generally use the terms “salvation” and “sanctification” rather than “justification.” “Justification” sounds rather like a legal process, which I believe is that way that much of Protestant theology perceives it. “Sanctification” is a real growth in holiness resulting from our cooperating with God’s grace, especially as given through the sacraments.

 

[Philthy]

First of all, you didn’t state your question clearly - there was quite a bit of stuff there. I’m assuming this was the focus of your question:
Does the Catholic Church teach that "justification is a lifelong process that can only be achieved by participation in the seven catholic sacraments. "?

The simple answer is no. One need not participate in all (in fact you can’t) of the seven sacraments. Don’t Holy Orders and Matrimony exclude one another? For an infant or very young child, Baptism alone provides justification for the forgiveness of original sin.

Now if, in your original question, you were really talking about justification by faith alone verses faith along with works then your question gets a different answer. That answer is surprisingly easy: **there is no such thing as Christian faith without works! **I have wrestled with this concept for a long time because I have many protestant friends whom I consider intelligent, faithful people and I want to try to understand their perspective. IMHO the attempt to differentiate works which flow FROM faith (Protestant) and works OF faith (Catholic) is purely esoteric. I think everyone will agree that works alone are insufficient. But the concept of “faith alone” is an enigma - what exactly does it mean? Does it only exist in a comatose human? When you really give it some thought I think you’ll see that it’s beyond splitting hairs and certainly not justification (pun intended) for the Reformation.

“So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead…Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless?..a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”
James 2:17/20/24

You have to feel kind of sorry for Luther to have gotten through so much of the Bible with his “Faith Alone” mantra only to be railroaded by the epistle of James - no wonder he tried to eliminate this book…

 

[SMHW]

Philthy:

Don’t Holy Orders and Matrimony exclude one another?

Just for the record, these two sacraments don’t exclude each other. A man can receive both sacraments. Examples would be permanent deacons, priests in Eastern rites, and (rarely) married protestant priest/minister converts to the Latin rite who seek ordination to the priesthood. (I didn’t mention widowers who are ordained since the Sacrament of Matrimony is no longer binding.)

Sorry. I didn’t want to get off topic but I did want to clarify the point.

 

[Philthy]

SMHW - Thanks you are correct. Some might even argue that Holy Orders and Matrimony are the same sacrament(vocational) with different means. One is marriage to another person, the other is marriage to Christ - Im rambling when I don’t really know what Im talking about, but it’s not this thread…