Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

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The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification is a document created by and agreed to by clerical representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation in 1999, as a result of extensive ecumenical dialogue, apparently resolving the conflict over the nature of justification which was at the root of the Protestant Reformation. The churches acknowledged that the excommunications relating to the doctrine of justification set forth by the Roman Catholic Council of Trent do not apply to the teachings of the Lutheran churches set forth in the text; likewise, the churches acknowledged that the condemnations set forth in the Lutheran Confessions do not apply to the Catholic teachings on justification set forth in the document. Confessional Lutherans, such as the International Lutheran Council and the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, reject the Declaration.

On July 18, 2006, members of the World Methodist Council, meeting in Seoul, South Korea, voted unanimously to adopt this document as well.^[1]^[2]

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If on judgement day the Lord asks [me] what [I] did, if nothing else, [I] can say that [I] signed the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.

– Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy, as reported in Lutheran World Information (1999-10-29): “Joint Declaration” is a “peace document”