The practice of the Catholic Church consists of seven sacraments (see also Catholic sacraments):
Baptism,
Confession,
Eucharist,
Confirmation,
Holy Matrimony,
Holy Orders, and
Anointing of the Sick.
In Catholic teaching, sacraments are gifts of Christ, performed through the office of the Church, that impart sanctifying grace to the receiver. Briefly: Baptism is given to infants and to adult converts who have not previously been validly baptised (the baptism of most Christian denominations is accepted as valid by the Catholic Church since the effect is believed to come straight from God regardless of the personal faith, but not intention, of the minister). Confession or reconciliation involves admitting sins to a priest and receiving penance (a task to complete in order to show repentance, and so achieve absolution or forgiveness from God). Eucharist (Communion), is considered a partaking in the sacrifice of Christ, marked by sharing the Body and Blood of Christ, which are believed to replace the bread and wine used in the ceremony. The Roman Catholic belief that bread and wine are transformed in all but appearance into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ is known as transubstantiation. In the sacrament of Confirmation, the gift of the Holy Spirit conferred in baptism is "strengthened and deepened" (see Catechism of the Catholic Church para. 1303) by the laying on of hands and anointing with oil. In the majority Roman Catholic church, this sacrament is presided over by a bishop, and takes place in early adulthood. It confirms one into full membership of the Church. In the Eastern Catholic Churches (see below) the sacrament is called chrismation, and is ordinarily performed immediately after baptism by a priest. Holy Orders is the entering into the priesthood and involves a vow of chastity; the sacrament of Holy Orders is given in three degrees: that of the deacon (since Vatican II a permanent deacon may be married before becoming a deacon), that of the priest, and that of the bishop. Anointing of the Sick used to be known as "extreme unction" or the "last rites"; it involves the anointing of a sick person with a holy oil blessed specifically for that purpose and is no longer limited to the seriously ill or dying. Extreme Unction in its centuries-old form, matter, and intent, however, is still available through hundreds of Catholic priests all over the world. A novel titled Brideshead Revisited, available as a movie, contains a momentous scene centered around this sacrament.
1 -[Catholicism]
2 -[Catholicism : Origin and History]
3 -[Catholicism : Sacraments]
4 -[Catholicism : Rites and churches]
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