Roman Catholicism
The 7 Sacraments
What is a Sacrament?
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A Sacrament is a physical sign of a spiritual
reality
There are 7 sacraments
The first 3 are known as the sacraments of
initiation
They are baptism, confirmation, and eucharist
The final 4 sacraments are confession, anointing
the sick, holy orders and matrimony
Why Baptism?
Because Jesus did.
Baptism
 Comes
from the Greek word that means
“to plunge” or “to immerse”
 The symbolic plunging and rising up again
from the water reminds us that a new
Catholic enters into Christ’s death and
then rises to a new life of grace
 It is the sign of joining the Christian family
(was formerly circumcision)
 Both for men and women and children
Symbols of Baptism
– water represents cleansing
 Oil – in ancient world, oil was used to
anoint kings and queens to show they
were set apart
 White garment – Purity, means putting on
Christ, similar to a bride
 Candle – Christ is the light of the world
and so we should be as well
 Water
Confirmation
 Happened
in the early Church and in Acts
 Is the completion of baptism
 You are saying that this is your faith not
just your parents if baptized as an infant
 To be done when one has reached the
“age of discretion”
Effects of Confirmation
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3.
The full outpouring of the holy Spirit
Binding us more closely to the Church
and more firmly to Christ
Increasing the gifts of the Holy Spirit in
us, especially his strength to spread the
faith by word and deed
Eucharist
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The Eucharist is the celebration of the death,
burial and resurrection of Jesus.
In the Bible, it is called the Lord's Supper.
Christians are invited to celebrate the Eucharist
every week during Mass.
Children usually make their First Holy
Communion at the age of 7 or 8.
This is a formal affair, and children completing
their First Holy Communion wear formal attire.
Eucharist
– the transfer of the
substance of bread and wine at Mass to
the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
 Cleanses from sin and gives spiritual
energy and nourishment
 Transubstantiation
Anointing of the Sick
 Sacrament
offered to those who are
suffering from serious illness, for the
elderly, for those facing major surgery, and
for the dying.
 Primarily lead by priests or
bishops.
 They anoint the persons body
and pray for them.
Sacrament of Confession or
Reconciliation
 It
is a sacrament of healing through which
Christ extends forgiveness to sinners,
bringing about reconciliation with God and
the Church.
 Given to priest in a confessional
anonymously
Involves:
– feeling sorry for your sins
 Confession – admitting our faults
 Absolution – the priest forgives us in the
name of Christ Jesus
 Satisfaction – or penance, something to
make repair for the harms our sins have
caused
 Contrition
Matrimony
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A sign of God calling a man and woman
to holiness through ordinary married life.
God is the source of marriage.
Marriage is meant to be a covenant.
The Church teaches that there are two
primary purposes of marriage:
Procreative – be fruitful and multiply
Unitive – become one body
Till Death Do Us Part…
 The
Catholic Church does not permit the
divorce of a valid marriage
 Annulments can be given. An annulment is
an official Church declaration that what
appeared to be a Christian marriage never
existed in the first place.
Holy Orders
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All of us are called to serve others as part of a
common priesthood, but the Church also has
those who minister to us:
Deacons – helpers to priests
Priests – servants to God’s people, celebrate the
Eucharist
Bishops – servants to God’s people and the
priests in their area
Religious nuns and brothers – servants to all of
God’s people. Join orders and take 3 vows:
Poverty, chastity, and obedience
Women & Celibacy
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Women
The Catholic Church
doesn’t ordain women
because Jesus didn’t and
because the priest is a
representation of Christ
who was male.
Women can become
nuns
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Celibacy
Celibacy is the state of
being unmarried that
priests and other religious
leaders choose in order
to dedicate their lives
totally to Jesus and God’s
people
In the Latin rite of the
Church priests cannot
marry
This may change one day
as it is only a doctrine of
the church