Catholics, Lutherans OK Doctrinal Point

The Vatican agreed in principle to a joint declaration with the Lutherans intended to settle a doctrinal dispute that was at the heart of the Protestant Reformation. With the agreement, most of the condemnations the Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches heaped on one another when Western Christianity split in the 16th century no longer apply, the Vatican said. The Lutheran World Federation had already approved a declaration lifting the condemnations. But the Vatican said some disagreements remain, including what theologians call “justification,” or how humans gain salvation.