The challenge of JDDJ

The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification between Lutherans and Roman Catholics transforms our old mutual "condemnations." Into what? Into "salutary warnings." That's the declaration's welcome challenge. It doesn't deny the condemnations. They "are still valid today and thus have a church-dividing effect." We still have to confront them. But this time, let's start from what we all have in common. That's all JDDJ is — an interim truce agreement, guarded enough in its concessions about justification to elude the old condemnations — for now. between Lutherans and Roman Catholics transforms our old mutual "condemnations." Into what? Into "salutary warnings." That's the declaration's welcome challenge. It doesn't deny the condemnations. They "are still valid today and thus have a church-dividing effect." We still have to confront them. But this time, let's start from what we all have in common. That's all JDDJ is — an interim truce agreement, guarded enough in its concessions about justification to elude the old condemnations — for now.