Does 'As for the divisive issue of whether the Mass is a sacrifice for the remission of sins, the statement affirms that Christ's death upon the cross ...' stand independently of the premise 'The statement has ended the controversy over whether the Mass is a sacrifice for the remission of sins.', neither following nor contradicting it?
As for the divisive issue of whether the Mass is a sacrifice for the remission of sins, the statement affirms that Christ's death upon the cross ...###The statement has ended the controversy over whether the Mass is a sacrifice for the remission of sins.