And faith must first change you into a person who will work in love BEFORE it will save you.

TS, a Protestant, posted an excerpt of Pope Benedict XVI's writings to defend faith alone.

TS:  On the journey we are making under St Paul's guidance, let us now reflect on a topic at the centre of the controversies of the century of the Reformation: the question of justification. How does man become just in God's eyes? 

It is precisely because of this personal experience of relationship with Jesus Christ that Paul henceforth places at the centre of his Gospel an irreducible opposition between the two alternative paths to justice: one built on the works of the Law, the other founded on the grace of faith in Christ. The alternative between justice by means of works of the Law and that by faith in Christ thus became one of the dominant themes that run through his Letters: 

yet who know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law; because by works of the law no one will be justified" (Gal 2: 15-16). And to the Christians of Rome he reasserts that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus" (Rm 3: 23-24). And he adds "we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law" . 

"For this reason Luthers's phrase: "faith alone" is true, if it is not opposed to faith in charity, in love"
-BENEDICT XVI 

I agree with everything Pope Benedict said. Remember that he is the one who teaches faith and works. That is what he means when he says "faith alone" is true, if it is not opposed to faith in charity, in love". All you have to do is read a bit further:

For this reason Luther's phrase: "faith alone" is true, if it is not opposed to faith in charity, in love. Faith is looking at Christ, entrusting oneself to Christ, being united to Christ, conformed to Christ, to his life. And the form, the life of Christ, is love; hence to believe is to conform to Christ and to enter into his love. So it is that in the Letter to the Galatians in which he primarily developed his teaching on justification St Paul speaks of faith that works through love (cf. Gal 5: 14).
Do you agree that we are saved by faith which works through love? If you do, then you have accepted the Catholic doctrine.

Jesus plus nothing equals everything

But we're not talking about adding anything to Jesus. We're talking about adding works of love to faith:
2 Peter 1:5
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

Virtues are works of love.

there is no such thing as faith that is opposed to charitythere is no such thing as faith that is opposed to charitythere is no such thing as faith that is opposed to charity

Then why does St. Paul warn against it?
1 Corinthians 13:2

King James Version (KJV)
² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

"For this reason Luther's phrase: "faith alone" is true, if it is not opposed to faith in charity, in love"

-BENEDICT XVI
-BENEDICT XVIThere is no such thing as a saving faith which does not lead to good works. (if you live: i.e. the thief on the cross)

Saving faith includes good works. Dead faith does not.

The Pope's "if" statement is meaningless because True faith is never opposed to faith in charity, in love.

Not all faith is true faith. Therefore, the Pope's statement is right on the money. As Scripture says:
James 2:14

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

an analogy:
Catholic farmer: the fields are very dry.
Protestant farmer: Some rain would fix the dryness..
Catholic farmer: Only "if" rain is wet...

Wide Blue World: And Then the Sky Rained Ash

wideblueworld.blogspot.com/2012/06/and-then-sky-rained-ash.html
Jun 13, 2012 – And Then the Sky Rained Ash. Fire season has come to northern Colorado in the form of the High Park Fire, raging in the hills just west of Fort ...One by Cheryl Sawyer As the soot and dirt and ash rained down

www.alhewar.org/.../one_a_poem_by_cheryl_sawyer.htm
As the soot and dirt and ash rained down, We became one color. As we carried each other down the stairs of the burning building. We became one class.

9/11 Ten Years Later. | Republicans for Obama

www.republicansforobama.org/node/9623
1 post - 1 author - Sep 11, 2011
As the soot and dirt and ash rained down, We became one color. As we carried each other down the stairs of the burning building, We became ...Icelandic volcano continues raining ash

media.smh.com.au/.../icelandic-volcano-continues-raining-ash-23785...
May 23, 2011 – Icelandic volcano continues raining ash (01:34). Iceland's most activevolcano rained ash over the countryside and prompted officals to close ...

of course rain is wet

Many things can rain down from the sky.

Hundreds of fish fall out of the sky over remote Australian town of ...

www.dailymail.co.uk/.../Hundreds-fish-fall-sky-remote-Aus...

by Richard Shears - More by Richard Shears Mar 2, 2010 – 1976: In San Luis Opisbo in California, blackbirds and pigeonsrained from the sky for two days. 'Thefish were all alive when they hit the ...

of course true faith includes charity, in love 
If your faith doesn't change you, then your faith doesn't save you.

And faith must first change you into a person who will work in love BEFORE it will save you.

Sincerely,

De Maria