This is true enough, but it is incomplete because it does not state that the reward is just. Without reference to justice, the true notion of merit would be absent. One of the first things I notice about the Declaration is the realization that Catholics and Lutherans have finally been able to overcome their centuries-old dispute over the question of justification and reach a consensus. According to Cassidy, “this should have a real and positive effect not only on future theological dialogue but also on our communities at all levels.” In this way, all Christians should be able to appreciate the important things that unite us as children of God. It is also worth noting that in the Joint Declaration, both Catholics and Lutherans agreed on the new life we ​​receive through justification. This new life is not of our own merit but is the free gift given to us by Jesus Christ when he died for our sins on the cross. Cassidy went further by stating that “it is also good to remember that what we have achieved in the joint statement is not primarily the result of the efforts of the people involved but of the grace that comes to us from the Holy