Archbishop of Sydney

Pentecost Pastoral Letter 2004: Is Faith without Works dead?

By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
30 May 2004

Cardinal George Pell has again written a Pastoral Letter to Young People in Sydney on the occasion of the Solemnity of Pentecost – the feast of the Holy Spirit and celebration of the birth of the Church. The letter, entitled “Is Faith without Works dead?” is the fruit of a consultation process with young people and school students from across Sydney that was organised by Catholic Youth Services and the Catholic Education Office. In the 4-page letter, the Cardinal tackles the question of whether good works alone are enough for salvation, or whether it is faith alone that saves us. The text of the Pastoral Letter is available on the Archdiocese website, and copies are available from your local parish, as well as being distributed to all senior high-school students.

“Christians are people of faith, and people of service. Why are these two aspects of our life connected? St James tells us that “just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead” (Js 2:26). We know that faith should bear fruit in good works. Are we people of faith? Does our faith produce good works?”

The Pastoral Letter is available to download in Adobe Reader format (PDF).