Sacraments of the Church
Why do Catholics believe in seven sacraments? Exactly what is a sacrament, and what
does it do for a person?
Catholics believe in seven sacraments because Christ instituted seven; because the Apostles
and Church Fathers believed in seven; because the second Council of Lyons (1274) defined
seven; and because the Council of Trent (1545-1563) confirmed seven. In short, the enumeration,
seven, arises from the perpetual tradition of Christian belief--which explains why that enumeration
is accepted not only by Catholics, but by all of the other ancient and semi-ancient Christian
communities--Egyptian Coptic, Ethiopian Monophysite, Syrian Jacobite, Greek Orthodox and Russian
Orthodox.
To understand what a sacrament is, and what it does for a person, one must know the correct, the
traditional Christian, definition of a sacrament. Properly defined, a sacrament is "an outward sign
instituted by Christ to give grace" (holiness) to the soul...that is to say, it is a divinely
prescribed ceremony of the Church in which the words and action combine to form what is at the
same time both a sign of divine grace and a fount of divine grace--is imparted to the soul, the
Holy Spirit of God is imparted to the soul, imbuing the soul with divine life, uniting the soul
to Christ.
As the Scriptures point out, this grace is the grace of salvation--without it man is, in a very real
sense, isolated from Christ. And as the Scriptures point out, Christ gave His Church seven sacraments to
serve as well-springs of this ineffable, soul-saving grace, the grace which flows from His sacrifice
on Calvary:
Why do Catholics confess their sins to priests? What makes them think that priests can absolve them of
the guilt of their sins? Why don't they confess their sins directly to God as Protestants do?
Catholics confess their sins to priests because--as it is clearly stated in Sacred Scripture--God in the Person
of Jesus Christ authorized the priests of His Church to hear confessions and empowered them to forgive sins
in His Name. To the Apostles, the first priests of the Church, Christ said: "Peace be to you. As the Father
hath sent me, I also send you...Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven
them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained." (John 20:21-23). Then again: "Amen I say
to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon
earth, shall be loosed also in heaven." (Matt. 18:18). In other words, Catholics confess their sins
to priests are God's duly authorized agents in the world, representing Him in all manners pertaining
to the ways and means of attaining eternal salvation. When Catholics confess their sins to a priest they ARE,
in reality, confessing their sins to God, for God hears their confessions and it is He who, in the final
analysis, does the forgiving. If their confessions are not sincere, their sins are not forgiven.
Furthermore, Catholics DO confess their sins directly to God as Protestants do: Catholics are taught to
make an act of contrition at least every night before retiring, to ask God to forgive their sins of that
day. Catholics are also taught to say this same prayer of contrition if they should have the misfortune
to commit a serious sin (called a "mortal sin" by Catholics).
BAPTISM--the sacrament of spiritual rebirth through which we are made children of God and heirs
of Heaven: "Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God."
(John 3:5. Also see Acts 2:38, Rom. 6:2-6).
CONFIRMATION--the sacrament which confers the Holy Spirit to make us strong and perfect
Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ: "Now when the apostles, who were in Jerusalem, had heard that
Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John. Who, when they were come, prayed
for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost...Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received
the Holy Ghost."
(Acts 8:14-17. Also see Acts 19:6).
The EUCHARIST--the sacrament, also known as Holy Communion, which nourishes the soul with the true
Flesh and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus, under the appearance, or sacramental veil, of bread and wine:
"And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread; and blessing, broke, and gave to them, and said: Take ye.
This is my body. And having taken the chalice, giving thanks, he gave it to them: This is my blood of the
new testament, which shall be shed for many."
(Mark 14:22-24. Also see Matt. 26:26-28, Luke 22:19-20,John 6:52-54, 1 Cor.
10:16).
PENANCE--the sacrament, also known as Confession, through which Christ forgives sin and restores the
soul to grace: "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. Also see Matt. 18:18).
EXTREME UNCTION--the sacrament, sometimes called the Last Anointing, which strengthens the sick and
sanctifies the dying: "Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them
pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord...and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven
him."
(James 5:14-15. Also see Mark 6:12-13)
HOLY ORDERS--the sacrament of ordination which empowers priests to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass, administer the sacraments, and officiate over all the other proper affairs of the Church: "For
every high priest taken from among men, is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he
may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins...Neither doth any man take the honor to himself, but he that
is called by God, as Aaron was."
(Heb. 5:1-4. Also see Acts 20:28, 1 Tim. 4:14). Also: "And taking bread, he gave
thanks, and broke; and gave to them, saying: This is my body, which is given for you. Do this for a
commemoration of me." (Luke 22:19).
MATRIMONY--the sacrament which unites a man and woman in a holy and indissoluble bond: "For this
cause shall a man leave a father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be in one
flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man
put asunder." (Matt. 19:5-6. Also see Mark 10:7-9, Eph. 5:22-32).
There you have it, the Word of Christ and the example of the Aposles attesting both to the validity and the
efficacy of the seven Sacraments of the Cattholic Church. In truth, every one of them is an integral part
of Christ's plan for man's eternal salvation.
Excerpted from "The Catholic Church has the Answer." by P. Whitcombe