Session 6, Council of Trent, Canon 9
If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone,[Chp 7,8] meaning that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to obtain the grace of justification, and that it is not in any way necessary that he be prepared and disposed by the action of his own will, let him be anathema.
Many will use this canon as a broad sweeping statement that the Catholic Church rejects a saving faith, that one must earn their salvation. By doing so they are ignoring the type of faith the Catholic Church is actually warning against.
So, what type of faith was the council warning against? The source for canon 9 comes from Chapter 7 & 8 of that session and it states the following:
For which reason it is most truly said that faith without works is dead [James 2:17, 20] and of no profit, and in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but faith that worketh by charity.[Gal 5:6,6:15](Chp 7)
This faith, conformably to Apostolic tradition, catechumens ask of the Church before the sacrament of baptism, when they ask for the faith that gives eternal life, which without hope and charity faith cannot give.(Chp 7)
Whence also they hear immediately the word of Christ:If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.[Matt 19:17](Chp 7)
Wherefore, when receiving true and Christian justice, they are commanded, immediately on being born again, to preserve it pure and spotless, as the first robe [Luke 15:22; c.31] given them through Christ Jesus in place of that which Adam by his disobedience lost for himself and for us, so that they may bear it before the tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ and may have life eternal.(Chp 7)
So the Church is warning against the type of faith that does not save a faith that is apart from hope, charity and obedience. This is the type of faith that James says will not save, please note that this is the only time the Holy Spirit inspired a writer of scripture to use the phrase “faith alone”. This is precisely why this phrase is problematic and why Catholic’s are cautious to immediately agree with a Protestant who asks “Are you save by faith alone”, further discussion is needed to determine exactly the type of faith that is being discussed. This is precisely what Pope Benedict XVI stated in his Apostolic letter “Doctrine of Justification: from Works to Faith, 11/19/08 General Audience”:
“Thus in communion with Christ, in a FAITH THAT CREATES CHARITY, the entire Law is fulfilled. We become JUST by entering into communion with Christ who is Love.”…..For this reason Luther's phrase: "faith alone" is true, IF IT IS NOT OPPOSED TO FAITH IN CHARITY, IN LOVE.”
So is the Church teaching with canon 9 that faith is not a free gift or that we must work for a faith that saves? No, chapter 8 goes on and teaches:
But when the Apostle says that man is JUSTIFIED BY FAITH AND FREELY,[Rom 3:24;5:1] these words are to be understood in that sense in which the uninterrupted unanimity of the Catholic Church has held and expressed them, namely, that we are therefore said to be JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, because faith is the beginning of human salvation, the foundation and root of all justification, without which it is impossible to please God[Heb 11:6] and to come to the fellowship of His sons; and we are therefore said to be JUSTIFIED GRATUITOUSLY, because NONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT PRECEDE JUSTIFICATION,WHETHER FAITH OR WORKS, MERIT THE GRACE OF JUSTIFICATION.
For, if by grace, it is not now by works, otherwise, as the Apostle says, grace is no more grace. [Rom 11:6]
So when you are approached as asked if you are saved by faith alone and they proceed to use canon 9 to prove that the Catholic Church teaches a works based salvation making the Catholic Church unbiblical. First they are misrepresenting what the Catholic Church teaches and second, ask them if they believe that we are saved by faith apart from love, apart from hope, apart from obedience. If they say “Yes” then they are the ones who are not following the bible.
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