In his Apostolic Letter Tertio millennio adveniente (1994), Pope John Paul II calls for a spirit of repentance and conversion for sins as a way of preparing well for the Great Jubilee 2000. Among the sins that require a greater commitment to repentance and conversion, he says, are "those which have been detrimental to the unity willed by God for his People" (1). The Pope asks the Church to invoke the Holy Spirit for the grace of Christian unity. Overcoming the divisions of the past which openly contradict the will of Christ and are a cause of scandal to the world, and contributing to the unity of Christians "is one of the tasks of Christians as we make our own way to the year 2000" (2). Thus according to His Holiness:

"the approaching end of the second millennium demands of everyone an examination of conscience and the promotion of fitting ecumenical initiatives, so that we can celebrate the Great Jubilee if not completely united, at least much closer to overcoming the divisions of the second millennium" (3).

One of the most important acquisitions of the modern Ecumenical movement has been, without any doubt, the official reception by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church of the consensus document entitled the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. This document is the fruit of more than 30 years of dialogues, both international and national, between Lutherans and Catholics. My predecessor Cardinal Johannes Willebrands, already a decade ago stressed the importance of the Lutheran/Catholic dialogue especially for Western Christianity:

"because at the heart of the Reformation in the 16th century was the conflict between Martin Luther and the authorities in Rome. Reconciliation between Lutherans and Catholics would therefore be highly symbolic as well as significant. I believe there is a special ecumenical responsibility here" (5).

The dialogue itself has affirmed that the doctrine of Justification was "decisively important for the Reformation (CA IV)" (6) and could even be considered "the central point of controversy in the 16th century" (7) For all the Reformers, the doctrine of justification is seen as the article of faith on which the church stands or falls. They consider justification by faith to be a criterion or corrective for all church practices, structure and theology. It is the heart of the gospel's proclamation of God's free and merciful promises in Jesus Christ that can rightly be received only through faith.

The Joint Declaration, for its part, speaks of questions of varying importance still in need of clarification (43). Nevertheless we can now say that, in regard to basic truths of the doctrine of justification, Lutherans and Catholics have reached substantial agreement. The understanding of the basic truths of the doctrine of justification described in the Joint Declaration has been accepted by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church. Both can now say that the condemnations hurled at one another in the 16th century concerning specific issues treated in the Joint Declaration, do not apply today to the other party in so far as they each subscribe to the positions elaborated in the said document.

A fundamental principle in ecumenical dialogue is that there may be a distinction between the doctrines of faith and the manner in which these doctrines are formulated or expressed. This was stated already at the opening of the Second Vatican Council by Pope John XXIII, and is a basic principle of the Ecumenical Directory of the Holy See published in 1993. In other words, the same truth may be expressed in different traditions in diverse forms, without that necessarily implying diversity in faith. Differences in expression are not necessarily contradictory or mutually exclusive. Of course, the theological dialogue, and then the Churches concerned, have to discern when this is the case. Diversity of expression may enrich faith understanding. It may also, however, wound unity and divide Christians.

The text that we are considering takes themes that have separated Lutherans and Catholics for centuries and seeks to show how they can now be seen as complimentary position, while emphasising distinctive Lutheran and Catholic concerns. The method followed is to set down firstly our common faith on each of the truths dealt with, and then where necessary explain the different approach or emphasis that each party traditionally follows in regard to a particular truth.

The Joint Declaration begins with a Preamble and then gives the main points of the biblical message of God's work of justifying fallen human beings. This is followed by an analysis of the doctrine of justification as an ecumenical problem between the Catholic Church and the churches stemming from the Reformation. The result of recent dialogues is then stated as the present-day common, or shared understanding of justification.

The document sets forth in some detail the following seven basic components of this common understanding:

1. Human Powerlessness and Sin in Relation to Justification;
2. Justification as Forgiveness of Sins and Making Righteous;
3. Justification by Grace and through Faith;
4. The Justified as Sinner;
5. Law and Gospel;
6. Assurance of Salvation;
7. The Good Works of the Justified.

It is not possible to dwell at length on the contents of the Joint Declaration in more detail in this article. I must, however, present what may be termed the three basic truths on the doctrine of justification concerning which the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation has reached a consensus. These are found in the Joint Declaration, in Section 3, 14-18.

Firstly, justification is a free gift bestowed by the Trinitarian God and centres on the person of Christ who became incarnate, died and rose. In being related to the person of Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit, we enter into a condition of righteousness. This is not something that we merit, but is freely bestowed. And so "together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works" (15).

Secondly, we receive this salvation in faith. Faith is itself God's gift through the Holy Spirit who works through word and sacrament in the community of believers and who, at the same time, leads believers into that renewal of life that God will bring to completion in eternal life. Hence, the reality of justification is linked to faith, but not simply as an intellectual assent of the mind. Rather the believer is to give him/herself over to Christ in the renewal of life.

Rapprochement on the issue of justification is obviously of importance for reconciliation of Lutherans and Catholics because this question has been seen as a church-dividing issue between them.

The doctrine of justification received attention in the Lutheran/Catholic dialogue from the beginning. The report of the first phase of international dialogue in 1972 included five paragraphs on "the problem of the doctrine of justification". The report noted that on this question of justification, "the traditional polemical disagreements were especially sharply defined". But it also noted that "today, however, a far-reaching consensus is developing in the interpretation of justification" (12). And even then, perspectives were presented opening the way to rapprochement. "Catholic theologians", the report said, "also emphasize in reference to justification that God's gift of salvation for the believer is unconditional as far as human accomplishments are concerned. Lutheran theologians emphasize that the event of justification is not limited to individual forgiveness of sins, and they do not see in it a purely external declaration of the justification of the sinner" (13).

The second phase of international dialogue kept this emerging far- reaching consensus in view, mentioning it in two of the reports it published, in 1980 and 1981 (14) At the same time significant reports on Justification were developed in national Lutheran-Catholic dialogues in the USA (Justification by Faith, 1985) (15) and in Germany (The Condemnations of the Reformation Era. Do They Still Divide?, 1986) (16). These provided extensive discussion of the issues, and strengthened the growing conviction that a Lutheran/Catholic consensus on justification was possible. When the third phase of international Lutheran/Catholic dialogue began in 1986, these two national studies were especially valuable as the Commission developed a lengthy report, completed in 1993, entitled "Church and Justification: Understanding the Church in the light of the Doctrine of Justification" (17).

The doctrine of justification is, however, an important issue also for rapprochement between Catholics and other churches coming from the Reformation. It was within Western Christianity that conflict on this central issue took place. Thus we should not be surprised that the doctrine of justification was taken up at length in the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission in its 1987 study Salvation and the Church (18). The Co-Chairmen of that Commission indicated that in preparing this text it had been "greatly helped by the statement Justification by Faith [...] (approved) by the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Consultation in the USA" (19). The Reformed/Roman Catholic International dialogue also treated Justification in some detail in the 1990 report of its second phase (20). A brief treatment was also given in a report of the Methodist/Roman Catholic International dialogue (21).

If the doctrine of justification was "the central point of controversy in the 16th century", we may now ask to what extent, then, does the agreement on this doctrine by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church bring the conflict between Catholics and Lutherans to a close? While we most certainly need to celebrate the significance of the Joint Declaration which has overcome such a significant barrier, we also need to be clear about the limits of the agreement reached. The declaration brings the Catholic Church and the member churches of the Lutheran World Federation which affirmed it a clear step closer to unity. They have not yet, however, achieved the goal of full, visible unity.

The official responses to the Joint Declaration, while affirming the basic consensus of justification presented, confirm this by indicating questions closely connected with the consensus set out in that document that require further study. The Lutheran response refers in this connection to Numbers 18, 28-30, and 38. Numbers 21, 22 and 29-30 are indicated in the response of the Catholic Church as needing deeper clarification.

Moreover, the Joint Declaration (43) lists other questions of varying importance that have still to be taken up and examined by the dialogue Commission: the relationship between the Word of God and church doctrine, ecclesiology, authority in the church, ministry, the sacraments and the relation between justification and social ethics. And even in recent decades, as both communities have participated in the modern ecumenical movement, some new differences between us have emerged which can cause difficulty in our mutual journey toward visible unity.

Before concluding these reflections on the Joint Declaration it would seem very opportune to indicate some of the pastoral implications of the fact that the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation have both officially affirmed. Surely this must have a significant impact from now on in the relations between Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches.

A first consequence of the signing of this document is the realisation that we have been able to overcome one of the fundamental differences that have distinguished us as two communities. This should have a positive and real effect not only on the future theological dialogue, but also on our communities at every level. We should now be able to appreciate more all that binds us together as sons and daughters of the one Lord, to whom we look as the one Mediator between God and his people. Serious difficulties remain, but they are secondary to what we hold in common. No longer may we look upon our different expressions of faith as being like two huge canons drawn up in battle line and facing each other!

Thirdly, we are reminded by the declaration of the new life that we have received, not through any merit of ours, but through the free gift of Jesus Christ. This is cause for constant thanksgiving and celebration, something that we can and should do together far more often than in the past. It is good to remember also that what we have achieved in the Joint Declaration is not primarily the result of the efforts of those involved, but of the grace that comes to us from the Holy Spirit. Prayer has played an important role and prayer for unity continues to be an essential part of our ongoing relations.

And then, fourthly, we are also reminded of our responsibility to live fully the new life that has been so freely given to us. Catholics and Lutherans are called to give witness to their faith in Christ to the world of the coming third Christian Millennium. Justification calls for transformed living.

Together we can now proclaim to the world the same good news of justification by faith in Christ. As I stated in July 1997 before the General Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation in Hong Kong:

To those citizens of today who are so often the victims of false and questionable values created by materialism and secularisation, Lutherans and Catholics can now confess together, in the words of the Joint Declaration, "that all persons depend completely on the saving grace of God for their salvation" (JD 19). To those who are broken-hearted, or feel overwhelmed by the manifold threats to life and to well-being, we can now confess together "that the faithful can rely on the mercy and promises of God" (JD 34). To those who feel deeply the burden of guilt for sins committed in the past, or of a sinful life today, we can now "confess together that God forgives sin by grace and at the same time frees human beings from sin's enslaving power and imparts the gift of new life in Christ" (JD 22). To those citizens today who, as in the time of St Paul, are looking for the unknown God, we can now "confess together that in Baptism the Holy Spirit unites one with Christ, justifies and truly renews the person" (JD 28), and "that persons are justified by faith in the Gospel 'apart from works prescribed by the law' (Rom 3:28)" (JD 31). To do this more effectively we need also to grow together in Christ.

The Joint Declaration must not remain a document somewhere over there in Geneva and Rome. What we have achieved must become part of the lives of our parishes and congregations, wherever they are. How this can best be done needs to be studied and carried out at the local level. One suggestion that I would make is that the Bible Studies on justification that the Lutheran World Federation and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity prepared together a couple of years ago be taken up and reflected on jointly by Lutheran and Catholic congregations.

Famous within the ecumenical movement is the "Lund Principle". The report of the Third World Conference on Faith and Order at Lund in 1952 requested the churches: "to consider whether they are doing all they ought to do to manifest the oneness of the People of God. Should not our churches ask themselves [...] whether they should not act together in all matters except those in which deep differences of conviction compel them to act separately?" (23).

Even with its limits, the Joint Declaration can be seen as a sign that, as the Decree on Ecumenism stated, "the Lord of the Ages wisely and patiently follows out the plan of His Grace on behalf of us sinners. In recent times he has begun to bestow more generously upon divided Christians remorse over their divisions and a longing for unity" (Unitatis redintegratio, n. 1).

We need, above all, to give thanks to God for this achievement. In the Catholic Church's preparation for the Great Jubilee, the year 1998, in which the official responses to the JD of both the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church were published, was dedicated to the Holy Spirit. We call to mind that the great mystery of the Incarnation which is the focus of the Great Jubilee "was accomplished by the Power of the Holy Spirit" (TMA, n. 44). We are reminded of the abiding influence of the Holy Spirit in the Church. We can recall, in regard to ecumenism that the Second Vatican Council stated without hesitation that the movement for the restoration of unity among all Christians is "fostered by the grace of the Holy Spirit" (Unitatis redintegratio, n. 1).

This agreement between Lutherans and Catholics has been fashioned by decades of theological dialogue, has been supported by prayer for unity, and is a tribute to the persistence of the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church to see it through. And yet we would surely be remiss if we did not acknowledge our belief that behind all of this, were impulses fostered by the grace of the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of unity, who assists us in responding to the prayer of Christ for his followers, "that they may all be one" (Jn 17:21).

And so with the psalmist we proclaim: "O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his steadfast love endures forever!" (Ps 118:1).