Sola Fides vs Salve Gratias: Saved By Grace! Part 1

JMJ

Protestants believe that we are saved by Faith Alone (Sola Fides), even though the 'alone' part was added by Luther.

What do Catholics believe?

I had heard Steve Wood of Family Life International mention (https://www.dads.org), in response to Protestants, that we are saved by Grace and I realized that I didn't know enough about this topic. So I dusted of my electronic copy of Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma writtne by Ludwig Ott and dove into a study.

All quotes are from Ott's discussion on the Salvation

So I can now report that, yes the correct Catholic answer is that we are saved by Grace and the core seems to be the following:

The source of the Subjective Redemption is the Triune God.

Since however, the communication of grace is a work of the Divine Love, it is “appropriated" to the Holy Ghost, i.e., to the Personal Divine Love.
Nevertheless it is effected by the Three Persons in common.
The Subjective Redemption, however, is not the work of God alone.
By reason of the fact that God has endowed human nature with reason and free will, Justification requires the free cooperation of men (D 799).
The unfathomable mystery of the doctrine of grace lies in this intimate mutual co-operation of Divine power and human freedom.
The final object of the Subjective Redemption is the Beatific Vision.

The causal chain of salvation is founded on the Vicarious Atonement made by Our Lord Jesus Christ in His death on the cross. As stated above the subjective redemption is not the work of God alone, as there is the mutual cooperation in the act due to our free-will.

So yes, we are not saved by Faith Alone as the protestants want to believe, but at the core by the Grace provided by God and our cooperation with that Grace.

I get the sense that I've just touched the surface of this topic and will do a follow-up article when time allows.

The full map is attached below.

P^3

Comments

Comparision of the Tridentine, Cranmer and Novus Ordo Masses

+ JMJ I downloaded the comparison that was linked in the previous article on the mass (here) . ... a very good reference! P^3 From: Whispers of Restoration (available at this link) . CHARTING LITURGICAL CHANGE Comparing the 1962 Ordinary of the Roman Mass to changes made during the Anglican Schism; Compared in turn to changes adopted in the creation of Pope Paul VI’s Mass in 1969 The chart on the reverse is a concise comparison of certain ritual differences between three historical rites for the celebration of the Catholic Mass Vetus Ordo: “Old Order,” the Roman Rite of Mass as contained in the 1962 Missal, often referred to as the “Traditional Latin Mass.”The Ordinary of this Mass is that of Pope St. Pius V (1570) following the Council of Trent (1545-63), hence the occasional moniker “Tridentine Mass.” However, Trent only consolidated and codified the Roman Rite already in use at that time; its essential form dates to Pope St. Gregory the Great (+604), in whose time the R

Auctorem Fidei

Can the SSPX be right about the Novus Ordo? Revision: Feb 11, 2013 On another web forum, I was engaged in a rather heated discussion about the documents of Vatican II.

Is it sinful to attend the Novus Ordo (New Mass) - Is it Sinful to Not Attend the Novus Ordo on Sunday?

+ JMJ A non-SSPX Catholic is upset over the SSPX statements on not attending the Novus Ordo Missae. Ladies and gentlemen, what the SSPX, or at least its website editor, is advocating is a mortal sin against the Third Commandment. Unless the priest deviates from the language of the Sacramentary, the consecration, and thus the rest of Mass is to be considered valid. No one may elect not to attend Mass simply because abuses are occurring therein. Might I suggest that such absenteeism is its own abuse? The Third Commandment binds under mortal sin. Father So-And-So from the SSPX has no authority whatsoever to excuse attendance at Mass, be that Mass ever so unpalatable. Source:Restore DC Catholicism Well, this is interesting. First why does the SSPX issue this statement? Because it is sinful to put your faith in danger by attending a protestant service. It is likewise dangerous to put your faith in danger by attending a protestantized mass (ie the Novus Ordo Missae

Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

+ JMJ Along the theme of P^3 (Prayer, Penance, Patience), and for my own reference ... here is a collection of Morning and Evening prayers from the Ideal Daily Missal along with some additional prayers. In this crisis of the Church, I do not think it is possible to do too much prayer, penance and have patience. P^3

What the heck is a congregation of "Pontifical Right"

+ JMJ In a discussion with a friend the question occurred to me that I didn't actually know was is involved in being a religious order of 'pontifical right'. I had a vague notion that this meant they reported to Rome as opposed to the local diocese. I'm also aware that, according to the accounts I have heard, the Archbishop received 'praise' and the written direction to incardinate priests directly into the SSPX. This is interesting because it implies that the SSPX priests were no longer required to incardinate in the local diocese but in the SSPX. This is something that belongs to an order of 'pontifical right'. Anyway here's some definitions: Di diritto pontificio is the Italian term for “of pontifical right” . It is given to the ecclesiastical institutions (the religious and secular institutes, societies of apostolic life) either created by the Holy See or approved by it with the formal decree, known by its Latin name, Decretu

Tradicat

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