The Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches have ended a nearly five-century-old dispute over how people achieve salvation.
NEW YORK: (AP/BN)-The accord represents "a decisive step forward in the process of reconciliation," said Rev. Ismael Noko, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation.
After 30 years of consultations among theologians, the two sides announced agreement almost a year ago on a Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, meant to resolve a doctrinal debate at the heart of the 16th century Protestant Reformation that split Western Christianity. But differences remained on the interpretation and wording of the accord, and it took several more months to complete a three-page annex and statement clarifying the churches' position.
