A momentous event was the Joint Declaration between the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation on the Doctrine of Justification formally signed on 31 October in the church of St Anne. This Joint Declaration marks the collapse of the supporting pillar of division between the two Churches. The controversy regarding justification was unleashed 450 years ago in a dispute which led to reciprocal condemnations lasting till today. It was one of the fundamental causes of separation. Thirty years of work carried out by the International Lutheran-Catholic Theological Commission, and the prayers and commitment of many, finally made it possible to overcome any remaining hurdles. The Joint Declaration affirms, among other things, that “a consensus has been reached between Lutherans and Catholics in the fundamental truths of the Doctrine of Justification”. Thus, the mutual condemnations of the past on the issue of justification no longer apply. Cardinal Ratzinger has affirmed that “the document announces that the excommunications of the Council of Trent, regarding this point, do not apply to the doctrine as it is understood today.” (Interview published in the Italian Catholic magazine “30 Days”, June 1999) “The past is not being denied,” explains a statement released by the Pontifical Council Promoting Christian Unity on 21 June 1999, “but rather it is a step forward in our understanding of the mystery of salvation in Christ, made possible in an atmosphere of mutual trust.” The Joint Declaration is not simply dealing with a 16th century theological dispute irrelevant to us today. It deals with an issue which is current and which responds to many crucial questions of mankind today: What is it that renders Christians “just” in front of God? Who saves us and fulfills us? Is being “just” simply the fruit of our own good will? What is the meaning of salvation promised by Christian faith? The documents – “The Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification” (1997), the “Official Common Statement of the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church” and the “Annex” (11 June 1999) – were signed by Card. E. I. Cassidy and Bishop W. Kasper, President and Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, representing the Roman Catholic Church, and by Bishop Ch. Krause and Dr. Ishmael Noko, President and Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, and other six vice-presidents of the Federation, representing the Lutheran Church.