Church Teaching
Sacraments
The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, through which divine life is given to us. The Church recognizes seven sacraments that cover all the important moments of a Christian’s life.
Topics
Topic I · What are the sacraments?
What are the sacraments?
Sacraments – Signs of God's grace
The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, through which divine life is given to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in Christians who receive them with the proper disposition (CCC 1131). The Church recognizes seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. These seven sacraments cover all the important moments of a Christian’s life and the fundamental needs of human life.
Sacramentals
Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church to sanctify various circumstances of life. In a certain resemblance to the sacraments, they signify and obtain, especially spiritual effects. The most important sacramentals are blessings, which praise God and ask for His gifts, the consecration of persons, and the dedication of things to the service of God. Sacramentals can be both objects and actions—the sign of the cross, holy water, rosaries, crucifixes, and similar items.
Topic II · Sacraments of Initiation
Sacraments of Initiation
The Sacrament of Baptism
Baptism is a birth into new life in Christ. Through the sacrament of Baptism, original sin, all personal sins, and the punishments due to sin are taken away, and the baptized is given a share in the divine life of the Trinity. This takes place through sanctifying and justifying grace, by which one becomes a member of Christ and of the Church and shares in Christ’s priesthood. Baptism lays the foundation for communion with all Christians, grants the theological virtues and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The baptized belongs to Christ forever and bears Christ’s indelible mark—the sacramental character (cf. CCC 1277–1279).
Sacrament of Confirmation
Confirmation makes one more deeply a child of God, unites one more firmly with Christ and the Church, and enlivens the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the soul. Through this sacrament, the grace of Baptism is strengthened and increased, the bond with Christ is reinforced, and one is more closely bound to the Church and her mission. Confirmation gives a special strength of the Holy Spirit to be a true follower of Christ in word and deed, to spread and defend the faith, and to bear bold witness to the name of Christ. As in Baptism, an indelible spiritual mark is imprinted—the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. This sacrament can be received only once (cf. CCC 1303–1316).
Sacrament of the Eucharist
In the sacrament of the Eucharist, Christ himself is present under the appearances of bread and wine—truly, really, and substantially with his Body, his Blood, his soul, and his divinity. The Eucharist strengthens the bond with Christ, cleanses venial sins worthy of forgiveness, and preserves from mortal sins. Love for Christ grows stronger, and the unity of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ is reinforced. The Eucharist is also a sacrifice—the sacrifice of the Holy Mass—in which Christ unites the Church and its members with the sacrifice of the Cross (cf. CCC 1407, 1413, 1416).
Theme III · Sacraments of Healing
Sacraments of Healing
Sacrament of Penance
Through the sacrament of Penance, sins committed after Baptism are forgiven. The complete confession of sins by the individual and absolution is the only ordinary way for a Christian to be reconciled with God and the Church. The sacrament of confession restores the state of grace and frees one from the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins. Confession brings peace of soul, a clear conscience, and spiritual consolation, and grants the spiritual strength needed for the Christian struggle (cf. CCC 1486, 1497).
Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick
Through the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, a special grace is given to a Christian who suffers from serious illness or the frailty of old age. The sick person is more closely united with the suffering of Christ for their own good and that of the Church. The sacrament gives comfort, peace of heart, and courage to endure the hardships of illness and old age as a Christian. Sins are forgiven if the sick person is no longer able to confess, and physical healing occurs if it is God’s will. The Anointing of the Sick is a preparation for the sick person’s journey to the Father’s house (cf. CCC 1527, 1532).
Theme IV · Sacraments at the Service of Communion
Sacraments at the Service of Communion
Sacrament of Holy Orders
Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, the mission of service is handed on in the name of Christ and in His person. The sacrament gives the task and the power to act in the person of Christ and elevates one to Christ’s ministry as Teacher, Priest, and Shepherd. As with Baptism, a spiritual character is received that cannot be repeated or given temporarily. There are three degrees: deacon, priest, and bishop (cf. CCC 1536, 1591, 1598).
The Sacrament of Matrimony
Through the sacrament of Matrimony, a man and a woman establish a lifelong and intimate bond of love with each other. Through the sacrament, the spouses are given the grace to love one another as Christ has loved the Church. The fruits of this sacrament are the perfection of human love, the strengthening of indissoluble unity, and the sanctification of the path to heaven. The sacrament also grants grace that sanctifies marriage and the procreation and upbringing of children. True marriage is elevated to the dignity of divine love (cf. CCC 1638–1664).