Position · 1547

Catholic Justification

Justification as both forgiveness and inner renewal: God’s grace is poured into the soul, making the person truly righteous, and the person freely cooperates with that grace.

The Council of Trent defined this in its decree on justification (1547), answering Lutheran Justification directly. It called faith the beginning of salvation but rejected justification by faith alone. Grace grows through the sacraments and can be lost through mortal sin.