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.
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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).
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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.
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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".
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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.
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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.
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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.
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