The Voice of Christ
The Catholic Online Magazine
The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church
I. NECESSITY AND NATURE
(1) In what sense necessary
Almighty God can and does give grace to us in answer
to our internal aspirations and prayers without the use of any
external sign or ceremony. This will always be possible, because God,
grace, and the soul are spiritual beings. God is not restricted to the
use of material, visible symbols in dealing with us; the sacraments
are not necessary in the sense that they could have been dispensed
with. But, if it is known that God has appointed external, visible
ceremonies as the means by which certain graces are to be conferred on
us, then in order to obtain those graces it will be necessary for us
to make use of those Divinely appointed means.
In this sense the Council of Trent (1545-1563, Sess.
VII, can. 4) declared heretical those who assert that the sacraments
of the New Law are superfluous and not necessary, although all
sacraments are not necessary for each individual. It is the teaching
of the Catholic Church and of Christians in general that, while God
was not bound to make use of external ceremonies as symbols of things
spiritual and sacred, it has pleased Him to do so, and this is the
ordinary and most suitable manner of dealing with men. Writers on the
sacraments refer to this as the necessitas convenientiae, the
necessity of suitableness. It is not really a necessity, but the most
appropriate manner of dealing with creatures that are at the same time
spiritual and corporeal (human). In this assertion all Christians are
united: it is only when we come to consider the nature of the
sacramental signs that Protestants (except some Anglicans) differ from
Catholics.
They were not ‘officially’ promulgated as
"The Seven Sacraments" until the Council of Trent, although
they were always taught and mentioned since the first A.D. by Pope St.
Peter and various Popes, saints, and theologians. Many Protestants
point this out as proof of the Church "inventing" the
Sacraments, but many times issues were officially declared in Councils
to clarify/iterate Church Teachings that have been
attacked/incorrectly taught by heresies, etc. Except for Baptism, one
does not fully receive the Graces from the Sacrament if they are in a
state of mortal sin; however, when they make a true, contrite
confession after receiving the Sacrament, they then receive the Graces
from it.
The Seven Sacraments:
1. Baptism
SIGNIFICANCE The Roman Catechism offers the
following definition: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration
by water in the word" (per aquam in verbo). Baptism was
instituted to confer upon us the beginnings of the spiritual Life, to
transfer us from the state of enemies of God to the state of adoption
as sons and daughters of God. This definition combines the physical
and metaphysical definitions of baptism. "The sacrament of
regeneration" is the metaphysical essence of the sacrament, while
the physical essence is expressed by the second part of the definition
of the sacrament (i.e. the washing with water (matter), accompanied by
the invocation of the Holy Trinity (metaphysical form)). Baptism is,
therefore, the sacrament by which we are born again of water and the
Holy Ghost, that is, by which we receive in a new and spiritual life,
the dignity of adoption as sons and daughters of God and heirs of
God's kingdom.
MANNER Baptism
is conferred on the recipient when a Priest or Deacon pours water over
their forehead and recites the words of Baptism: I baptize you in the
Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
MATTER The
matter of baptism is water, and this taken in its usual meaning.
Theologians have said that "what we would ordinarily declare
water" is valid baptismal material, whether it’s salt/fresh
water, from a fountain/well/marsh, whether it’s clear/turbid
hot/cold, colored/uncolored. Water from melted ice, snow, or hail is
also valid. However, unmelted ice, snow, and hail are not considered
"water". Dew, sulfur or mineral water, and condensed water
from steam are also valid. If the water is a "mixture" with
something else, it is held as proper
matter if the water predominates and the mixture would still be called
water. Invalid matter is every liquid that is not usually designated
true water, such as: oil, saliva, wine, tears, milk, sweat, beer,
soup, the juice of fruits. The vast majority of the time, Baptism is
conferred by pouring water over the forehead and reciting the words of
Baptism; sometimes partial immersion is preferred by the baptizee.
VALIDITY If
it’s doubtful whether a liquid is considered "water" or
not, it is not permissible to use for baptism except in case of
absolute necessity when no certainly valid matter can be obtained. On
the other hand, it is never allowable to baptize with an invalid
liquid. There is a response of Pope Gregory IX to the Archbishop of
Trondhjem in Norway where beer (or mead) had been employed for
baptism. The pontiff says: "Since according to the Gospel
teaching, a man must be born again of water and the Holy Ghost; those
are not to be considered validly baptized who have been baptized with
beer". The "formula" used for Baptism must be "I
baptize thee in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Ghost" (or similar variant). If some other variant is used in a
Protestant "baptism", a person entering into the Catholic
Church must be rebaptized with the correct words. The normal baptizer
is a Priest or Deacon, but in emergencies any person (lay Catholic,
heretic, gnostic, etc.) can baptize AS LONG AS they intend to do what
the Church does.
2. Reconciliation/Penance/Confession
SIGNIFICANCE The Sacrament of Confession is the
manner in which we reconcile ourselves with God after we commit the
heinous act of sin and, having a contrite heart, truly desire to be
reunited fully with God.
VALIDITY In
order to obtain a valid confession, the penitent must have true sorrow
for committing their sins, and must confess all mortal sins which they
are aware of at the time of the Confession after examining their
conscience. In addition, one of the Precepts of the Church require
that it is the duty of the Faithful to confess one’s sins at least
once a year. Although you are only required to confess mortal sins,
there is no reason why you shouldn’t also tell God your sorrow for
committing venial sins.
The Council of Trent (1551) declares: "As a
means of regaining grace and justice, penance was at all times
necessary for those who had defiled their souls with any mortal
sin…The Lord then principally instituted the Sacrament of Penance,
when, being raised from the dead, he breathed upon His disciples
saying: 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they
are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained'
(John, 20:22-23). By which action so signal and words so clear the
consent of all the Fathers has ever understood that the power of
forgiving and retaining sins was communicated to the Apostles and to
their lawful successors, for the reconciling of the faithful who have
fallen after Baptism." Farther on the council expressly states
that Christ left priests, His own vicars, as judges (praesides et
judices), unto whom all the mortal crimes into which the faithful may
have fallen should be revealed in order that, in accordance with the
power of the keys, they may pronounce the sentence of forgiveness or
retention of sins" (Sess. XIV, c. v)
It is noteworthy that the fundamental objection so
often urged against the Sacrament of Penance was first thought of by
the Scribes when Christ healed the sick man with palsy and says:
"Thy sins are forgiven thee." When Jesus felt the scribes
asking in their hearts "Why doth this man speak thus? he
blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins but God only?" But Jesus seeing
their thoughts, said to them: "Which is easier to say to the sick
of the palsy: Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, take up
thy bed and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man hath power
on earth to forgive sins, (he says to the man with palsy,) I say to
thee: Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house" (Mark,
2:5-11; Matt., 9:2-7). Christ wrought a miracle to show that He had
power to forgive sins and that this power could be exerted not only in
heaven but also on earth.
This power, moreover, He transmitted to Peter and
the other Apostles. To Peter He says: "And I will give to thee
the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon
earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt
loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven" (Matt.,16:19).
Later He says to all the Apostles: "Amen I say to you, whatsoever
you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and
whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in
heaven" (Matt., 18:18).
3. Holy Eucharist
SIGNIFICANCE The Greatest Sacrament, the Holy
Eucharist—the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, of Jesus
Christ—was given to us by Christ so that we may enter into union
with Christ Himself and His Love, as when Jesus says "He that
eateth my flesh, and drinketh blood, abideth in me, and I in him"
(John, 6:57) The Eucharist removes our venial sins from our soul, and
is a great aid in avoiding the temptation to commit mortal sins. It is
because of this that many Saints have said that the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass (particularly the Eucharist) is "the perfect
prayer".
MATTER/VALIDITY The Holy Eucharist is composed of
two elements: the bread and the wine, which are later Consecrated by
the priest into the Body and Blood of Jesus. The bread (in the Latin
Rite) must be composed of only unleavened wheaten flour and water, and
then baked. The importance of wheaten bread is deduced immediately
from the words of Institution: "The Lord took bread" (ton
arton), in connection with which it may be remarked, that in Scripture
bread (artos), without any qualifying addition, always signifies
wheaten bread. No doubt, too, Christ adhered unconditionally to the
Jewish custom of using only wheaten bread in the Passover Supper, and
by the words, "Do this for a commemoration of me", commanded
its use for all succeeding times. In addition to this, uninterrupted
tradition, whether it be the testimony of the Fathers or the practice
of the Church, shows wheaten bread to have played an essential part.
The other Eucharistic element is wine, which must be
from grapes. Any other juice from fruits is not allowed. The necessity
of wine from grapes is not so much the result of the authoritative
decision of the Church, as much as it is presupposed by her (Council
of Trent, Sess. XIII, cap. iv), and is based upon the example and
command of Christ, Who at the Last Supper converted the natural wine
of grapes into His Blood. This is deduced partly from the rite of the
Passover, which required the head of the family to pass around the
"cup of benediction" (calix benedictionis) containing the
wine of grapes, partly, and especially, from the express declaration
of Christ, that henceforth He would not drink of the "fruit of
the vine" (genimen vitis).
MANNER Concerning
when the Consecration of the bread and wine can take place, Canon Law
states: It is absolutely wrong, even in urgent and extreme necessity,
to consecrate one element without the other, or even to consecrate
both outside the eucharistic celebration (Mass). (Cannon 927) Only a
priest can consecrate the Eucharist, although a Deacon can assist at
various points in the Celebration of the Mass.
Due to the extreme holiness of the Sacrament as well
as its symbolism of being in full communion with the Church, only
Catholics may enter into the Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is a
mortal sin to receive the Eucharist while you knowingly have an
unconfessed mortal sin on your soul.
4. Confirmation
SIGNIFICANCE Confirmation imparts 1) an increase of
sanctifying grace which makes the recipient a "perfect
Christian"; 2) a special sacramental grace consisting in the
seven gifts of the Holy Ghost and notably in the strength and courage
to confess boldly the name of Christ; 3) an indelible character by
reason of which the sacrament cannot be received again by the same
person.
Confirmation can be conferred only on those who have
already been baptized and have not yet been confirmed. In the early
years of the Church, when only adults were usually baptized,
confirmation was administered immediately after; however, when infant
baptism was the predominate custom, confirmation (in the Latin Rite)
was kept at the "age of adulthood", which in the US is
usually around age 14/8th grade. Its reception is obligatory
(necessitate præcepti) "for all those who are able to understand
and fulfill the Commandments of God and of the Church. This is
especially true of those who suffer persecution on account of their
religion or are exposed to grievous temptations against faith or are
in danger of death. The more serious the danger so much greater is the
need of protecting oneself". (Trent)
MANNER The
bishop alone is the ordinary minister of confirmation. This is
expressly declared by the Council of Trent (Sess. VII, De Conf., C.
iii). Simple priests may be the extraordinary ministers of the
sacrament under certain conditions (during Easter vigil Mass). In such
cases, however, the priest cannot wear pontifical vestments, and he is
obliged to use chrism blessed by a Catholic bishop. In the Greek
Church, confirmation is given by simple priests without special
delegation, and their ministration is accepted by the Western Church
as valid. They must, however, use chrism blessed by a patriarch.
The Bishop/priest takes Chrism, makes the sign of
the Cross on the forehead of the recipient, and says "Receive the
Gift of the Holy Spirit".
5. Matrimony
Contrary to popular misconception, the priest does
NOT confer the sacrament of Holy Matrimony—the priest is merely the
‘witness’ to the man and woman making their vows before God. It is
the husband and wife who ‘minister’ the Sacrament to themselves
from God. However, the fact that a husband and wife make the sacrament
between themselves and God does not mean that they can ‘unmake’
this union, as it is an agreement until the death of one of the
parties.
6. Holy Orders
In the Latin Rite, the current discipline is for
only non-married Catholics may be ordained priests; however, converts
to the Catholic Faith who are married may later become ordained
because the Church recognizes their marriage as valid and does not
want to deny them the opportunity to serve the Church as a priest if
they had previously joined in marriage in another Church before
knowing the fullness of the Catholic Faith.
7. Extreme Unction
Administered to a person who is dying, it may be
given to both Catholics and non-Catholics who truthfully declare (in
danger of death) to have a desire to enter into the Catholic Church
and profess the Faith that the Catholic Church teaches.
First, the Sacrament of Penance is administered,
then the anointing with the oil, and then the giving of the Eucharist
(called Viaticum for this Sacrament)
As administered in the Western Church today
according to the rite of the Roman Ritual, the sacrament consists
(apart from certain non-essential prayers) in the unction with oil,
specially blessed by the bishop, of the organs of the five external
senses (eyes, ears, nostrils, lips, hands), of the feet, and, for men
(where the custom exists and the condition of the patient permits of
his being moved), of the loins or reins; and in the following form
repeated at each unction with mention of the corresponding sense or
faculty: "Through this holy unction and His own most tender mercy
may the Lord pardon thee whatever sins or faults thou hast committed [quidquid
deliquisti] by sight [by hearing, smell, taste, touch, walking, carnal
delectation]".
The unction of the loins is generally, if not
universally, omitted in English-speaking countries, and it is of
course everywhere forbidden in case of women. To perform this rite
fully takes an appreciable time, but in cases of urgent necessity,
when death is likely to occur before it can be completed, it is
sufficient to employ a single unction (on the forehead, for instance)
with the general form: "Through this holy unction may the Lord
pardon thee whatever sins or faults thou hast committed." By the
decree of 25 April, 1906, the Holy Office has expressly approved of
this form for cases of urgent necessity.
I speak with the successor of the fisherman...Though
I acknowledge none as first except Christ, I am joined in communion
with your Holiness, that is to say, in communion with the Chair of
Peter. I know that it is upon that rock that the Church has been
built.
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