iustificatio
Justification
God's action, through grace, that forgives sins and makes a person truly righteous within — the passage from the state of sin to the state of grace, begun at Baptism.
a making just, or righteous
Justification is what the grace of the Holy Spirit does in us: it detaches us from sin and makes us just, in the way that Christ is just. For the Catholic Church this is not only a declaration that we are counted righteous but a real inward renewal: sins are forgiven, and sanctification and the renewal of the inner self are given at the same time. It is conferred in Baptism, is God's most excellent work, and requires our free cooperation without ever being earned. The Council of Trent set out the doctrine in 1547.
Councils
Where the Church settled or debated this. Follow a council to read our article on it, or the decrees themselves.
- 529Second Council of OrangeActs 15
- 1545–1563Council of Trentthe decrees
Sources
Primary sources
- Council of Trent, Session 6, Decree on JustificationCouncil of Trent, Session 6 (13 January 1547), Decree on Justification, chs. 1–16 and canons, in Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, vol. 2, ed. Norman P. Tanner (1990), pp. 671–681.
Sources checked 29 September 2026