I think they've changed their mind to agree with salvation by faith alone, not by works.
At least in some quarters.
Carbon: Ha, I highly doubt that.
Many Protestants today realize that Catholics adhere to the idea of salvation sola gratia (by grace alone), but fewer are aware that Catholics do not have to condemn the formula of justification sola fide (by faith alone),
provided this phrase is properly understood.
The term
pistis is used in the Bible in a number of different senses,
Of key importance is Galatians 5:6, which refers to “faith working by charity.” In Catholic theology, this is what is known as fides formata or “faith formed by charity.” The alternative to formed faith is
fides informis or “faith unformed by charity.” This is the kind of faith described in
James 2:19, for example.
Whether a Catholic rejects the idea of justification by faith alone depends on what sense the term “faith” is being used in. If it is being used to refer to unformed faith then a Catholic rejects the idea of justification by faith alone (which is the point James is making in
James 2:19,
as every non-antinomian Evangelical agrees; one is not justified by intellectual belief alone).
However, if the term “faith” is being used to refer to faith formed by charity then the Catholic does not have to condemn the idea of justification by faith alone. In fact, in traditional works of Catholic theology, one regularly encounters the statement that formed faith
is justifying faith. If one has formed faith, one is justified. Period.
A Catholic would thus reject the idea of justification
sola fide informi but wholeheartedly embrace the idea of justification
sola fide formata.
Adding the word “formed” to clarify the nature of the faith in “sola fide” renders the doctrine completely acceptable to a Catholic.
read more here
I was wondering what the first reaction to this thread would be?
