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The Sacraments
The seven sacraments are visible signs, instituted by Christ, that truly give the grace they signify. They touch every stage of life — birth, growth, healing, vocation and death.
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What are the seven sacraments?
The seven sacraments are Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance (Confession), Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. Each is a visible sign instituted by Christ that truly gives the grace it signifies.
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All The Sacraments questions
What are the seven sacraments?
The seven sacraments are Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance (Confession), Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. Each is a visible sign instituted by Christ that truly gives the grace it signifies.
What is Baptism, and why do Catholics baptize babies?
Baptism is the first sacrament: through water and the Holy Spirit it washes away original and personal sin and makes a person a child of God and a member of the Church. Catholics baptize infants because it is a free gift of grace, not a reward for understanding — and because the apostles baptized whole households.
What is OCIA (formerly RCIA)?
OCIA — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults — is the Church's process for welcoming adults into the Catholic faith. It combines learning, prayer, community and liturgical rites over several months, leading to the sacraments of initiation, usually at Easter.
What is Confirmation?
Confirmation is the sacrament that completes the grace of Baptism by a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The bishop (or a delegated priest) anoints the forehead with sacred chrism and says, "Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit." It strengthens Christians to live and witness to their faith.
What is the Anointing of the Sick?
The Anointing of the Sick is the sacrament for those seriously ill, facing surgery, or weakened by old age. A priest anoints the forehead and hands with blessed oil and prays for healing and strength. It is not only for the dying — it can be received whenever serious illness begins.
Why are Catholic priests celibate?
In the Latin Catholic Church, priests are ordinarily chosen from men who commit to lifelong celibacy "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven." It is a discipline, not a doctrine: it imitates Christ's own way of life and frees a priest to give himself fully to God and his people. Eastern Catholic Churches ordain married men.
What is an annulment?
An annulment (a "declaration of nullity") is a finding by a Church tribunal that a marriage, though it appeared valid, was missing something essential from the start — so a true sacramental marriage never came into being. It is not a "Catholic divorce," and it does not mean the relationship was not real or that children are illegitimate.
What does the Catholic Church teach about marriage?
The Church teaches that marriage is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, ordered to their mutual good and to the gift of children. Between baptized Christians it is a sacrament — a living sign of Christ's faithful love for his Church.
Can I be my own child's godmother?
No. Canon law states that a sponsor at baptism must not be the father or mother of the person being baptized. Ask your baptismal celebrant for help finding a suitable godparent.
Can a practicing Catholic officiate at a civil wedding?
Yes, under certain conditions: the couple are non-Catholics not bound by Catholic marriage law, there are no obvious impediments, and the Catholic is authorized by the state to officiate. But a Catholic may not get an "ordination" from a mail-order or online mill to do so.
What is a "sick box"?
A "sick box" was a set of items for offering spiritual comfort to a sick person — candles, statues, holy water and oil. There is no reason it cannot still be used, though visiting priests usually bring their own oil for anointing.
Was it really a Mass if a woman celebrated it?
Most likely what you attended was a Communion service, which lay people — including women — may lead when no priest is available. No consecration happens at such a service; the hosts were consecrated earlier at a Mass. If you saw a woman attempt to consecrate the bread and wine, report it to the diocesan bishop.
Should Catholic parents force their children to be confirmed?
No. Infants can validly be confirmed, as in Eastern Catholic Churches, but someone old enough to decide should be allowed to choose. Canon law requires a person with the use of reason to be properly disposed to receive confirmation lawfully — and an unwilling child is not.
Are children of an annulled marriage considered illegitimate?
No. As canon lawyer Edward Peters explains, an annulment does nothing to affect the legitimacy of children; that status is settled before any question of annulment arises.
Can a non-Catholic Christian groom receive Communion at his Catholic wedding?
No. Receiving Communion in the Catholic Church is a sign of full acceptance of Catholic teaching and of complete unity among believers — a unity Catholics and other Christians do not yet share. Even Catholics may receive only in a state of grace. For this reason, Catholics marrying non-Catholics are usually encouraged not to have a nuptial Mass.
What happened to confirmation names?
The custom is still used. Taking a saint's name at confirmation gave the confirmand a heavenly patron and helped him rely on the communion of saints. Some dioceses now encourage the older tradition of keeping one's baptismal name, to link the two sacraments of initiation.
Deacons can't celebrate Mass, so why can't women be ordained deacons?
Because deacons receive the sacrament of holy orders, which women cannot validly receive. Deacons receive it in a lesser degree than priests and bishops, but they do receive it. They also proclaim the Gospel and may preach — functions that share in the apostolic ministry — so it is fitting that they be men, as were the apostles.
If a person is infertile, can he marry in the Catholic Church?
Yes. Infertility — the inability to conceive children — is not an impediment to marriage. Permanent and irreversible impotence — the inability to consummate the marriage — is an impediment, because the couple must be able to consummate it.
Can I be ordained online to officiate a wedding?
No. A Catholic may not accept "ordination" in a non-Catholic church: it is invalid and makes it look as if he has joined and ministers in that church. But a lay Catholic qualified by the state in some other legitimate way, such as a judge, may officiate at civil weddings of non-Catholics not bound by Catholic marriage law.
Can my friend marry civilly before her fiancé's annulment, then have the marriage blessed?
No. A Catholic cannot validly marry outside the Church without permission, so a civil wedding followed by a blessing is not a moral option. The Church presumes his first marriage valid until a tribunal finds otherwise, so she should not even be dating him; she must wait for the annulment's outcome.
If I married a non-baptized person in a civil wedding, do I need an annulment to remarry?
Yes. Since neither of you was Catholic, no special permissions were required, so the Church presumes your marriage valid. Before attempting marriage again, you would need the marriage investigated for nullity; if it is found invalid, you would be free to marry.
What keeps women from being priests?
Women are not ordained because they are not men. God became incarnate not merely as a human being but as a man, the man Christ Jesus, and priests serve in his person. Just as only women bearing children is a fact of the natural order, men being priests is a fact of the supernatural order.
Am I Catholic if I received private instruction instead of going through RCIA?
Yes, you are Catholic. Your priest's method is actually preferred for non-Catholic Christians, because RCIA's main purpose is to catechize and initiate the unbaptized.
Why is baptism outside the Church valid, but marriage outside the Church not?
Both can be valid outside the Church. But Church law requires Catholics to marry in the Church or with permission, for pastoral and theological reasons that apply to marriage. Those reasons don't apply to baptism, which Jesus willed for everyone, so any baptism done as he instructed is valid.
Do I need to be confirmed to be married in the Church?
It isn't an absolute requirement, but the Church strongly urges it. Canon law says Catholics not yet confirmed should receive confirmation before marriage if this can be done without grave inconvenience.
Is the good thief proof that baptism isn't necessary?
No. It isn't clear baptism had yet been mandated when Jesus met the thief, and we don't know the thief wasn't already baptized. In any case, he clearly converted on the cross and would surely have desired baptism had he known of its necessity — and the desire for baptism brings about its fruits.
Is marrying a relative allowed by the Church?
Never in the direct line, such as father and daughter or grandmother and grandson. In the collateral line, relatives as close as first cousins are impeded from marrying, but the bishop may dispense the impediment for first cousins.
Can a bishop give a nun authority to preside at a wedding?
Yes, under certain conditions. Where priests and deacons are lacking, the diocesan bishop can delegate lay persons — including nuns — to assist at marriages, after a favorable vote of the bishops' conference and with permission from the Holy See.
Is the current rite of episcopal ordination invalid?
No. A sacrament requires proper matter and form. Jesus did not mandate a particular formula for consecrating bishops, so the Church has authority over it; when she authorizes a formula, we can be certain it is effective.
Is our marriage sacramental now?
Yes. A marriage is sacramental when both spouses are baptized. Before your baptism your marriage was presumably valid but not sacramental; at your baptism it automatically became a sacrament, with the grace of matrimony to perfect your love and help you grow in holiness.
May we pray for conditional baptism for the unborn?
No. Conditional baptism is only for cases of doubt about whether a person was validly baptized. Baptism of desire applies to martyrs, catechumens and sincere seekers of God, and unbaptized children are entrusted to God's mercy. Pray instead for their salvation and that those in danger of abortion be spared.
Does the Church frown on interracial marriage?
No. Marriage is open to any eligible man and woman; race is no obstacle, because all races are equal before God.
If two married Lutherans divorce civilly, can either remarry in the Catholic Church?
Only if the first marriage is found not to have been valid. A valid sacramental marriage ends only with the death of a spouse, so the marriage must first be investigated. If it was valid, no new marriage can take place; if not, a declaration of nullity frees the person to marry a Catholic, who needs a dispensation to marry a non-Catholic.
Is faith necessary for adults to be baptized?
Yes, but not a fully developed faith. The faith required for baptism is a beginning that is meant to grow; for everyone baptized, child or adult, faith must grow after baptism.
Why can't my 13-year-old brother-in-law be a godfather if he's confirmed?
Confirmation isn't the only requirement. Canon law requires a godparent to be at least 16, unless the bishop sets another age or the minister sees a just reason for an exception. Godparents help form the child in the Christian life, and a 13-year-old is still being formed himself.
What effect does a person's re-baptism in a Baptist church have?
In itself, none. Baptism seals the Christian with an indelible spiritual mark of belonging to Christ; given once for all, it cannot be repeated.
What is the correct age for confirmation?
Canon law sets about the age of discretion (traditionally seven), unless the bishops' conference decides otherwise. In the United States the conference set a range from the age of discretion to about sixteen, so each bishop chooses an age within it.
Why would my parents object to a medieval-themed nuptial Mass?
They may fear the theme will undermine the sacredness of the event — a valid concern for the Mass itself, where the focus must be on the sacraments. The reception is the place for personal expression.
Why does the Church recognize Protestant baptism if Protestantism has no valid priesthood?
Because baptism is necessary for salvation and God wills everyone's salvation, the Church recognizes all validly administered baptisms. In necessity anyone can baptize, using the Trinitarian formula with the intention of doing what the Church does. Baptism by immersion or pouring with the Trinitarian formula is valid in itself.
Why can't I be re-baptized as a Catholic?
Baptism is given once for all: it washes away original sin, gives sanctifying grace, and marks the soul as Christian. Repeating a valid baptism would be useless and an objective sacrilege. If you were validly baptized, you are a Christian; confession is the sacrament for sins since then.
Should I have received Communion and anointing from an Orthodox priest?
Yes, that was permissible. A Catholic may receive these sacraments from a validly ordained non-Catholic priest, such as a Russian Orthodox priest, when no Catholic priest is available and there is necessity or spiritual benefit — as for a Catholic in hospital.
Can our Orthodox friend be our child's godfather?
Yes, as long as there is also a Catholic godparent and the child's Catholic education is ensured. Since godparents should be one of each sex, choose a Catholic woman as godmother.
Why can anyone administer baptism?
Because baptism is ordinarily necessary for salvation. Priests and deacons are the ordinary ministers, but in life-or-death situations when none is available, anyone — Catholic, non-Catholic, non-Christian or non-believer — may baptize, using the correct manner and with the intention to baptize.
In a mixed marriage, must the couple promise to raise their children Catholic?
The Catholic party must promise. Canon law makes marriage with an unbaptized person invalid and with a baptized non-Catholic prohibited, unless permitted. The bishop may permit it if the Catholic promises to do all in his or her power to have the children baptized and raised Catholic, the other party is informed of that promise, and both are instructed about marriage.
Can divorced people be godparents or confirmation sponsors?
Yes, if they are living as the Church expects of someone in their situation. But someone without an annulment who is in a romantic relationship or has attempted remarriage is not living the life of faith canon law requires, so another sponsor should be chosen.
Why don't we baptize the unborn?
An unborn, unbaptized person is theoretically capable of baptism; the problem is how to apply water safely in the womb. The current Code doesn't forbid it, but the practical difficulty remains.
Can I attend my Lutheran friend's baptism?
Yes. The Church's ecumenical directory says Catholics may, as occasions arise, join other Christians in commemorating the baptism that unites them, renewing their commitment to Christian life and pledging to work for Christian unity.
How are Catholics to view Protestant marriages?
Protestants generally have two valid sacraments, baptism and marriage, though they usually don't call marriage a sacrament. If both spouses are validly baptized and there is no impediment, the Church presumes their marriage valid and sacramental.
Can a woman whose husband divorced her receive Communion?
Yes, if she is otherwise in a state of grace. Only those who willfully destroyed a valid marriage, or who have entered another romantic relationship, are barred until they regularize their status. The Catechism distinguishes the innocent spouse unjustly abandoned from the one at fault.
What is required for a valid marriage between a Catholic and a non-Catholic?
A Catholic marrying a baptized non-Catholic needs express permission for the marriage to be licit. Marrying an unbaptized person is invalid without a dispensation. Either presupposes that both know and do not exclude marriage's essential ends and properties, and that the Catholic will do what he can to have the children baptized and raised Catholic.
Is divorce a sin when one's spouse is abusive?
No. Canon law allows a spouse endangered in body or soul to leave. The Church tolerates civil divorce for just cause, such as safety and settling custody and property, treating it as legal separation. But the person remains married and may not remarry in the Church without an annulment.
Why is a fee required for an annulment?
The fee helps cover the cost of processing the case, including salaries of the experts who examine it. Fees can usually be paid over time and reduced or waived for financial hardship.
Should I light the unity candle at my daughter's non-denominational wedding?
Decline. As former Catholics, your daughter and her fiancé are almost certainly still bound to Catholic form, so their marriage will be invalid. There is no official teaching on unity candles, but lighting it would signal approval and risk scandal.
Should Catholics do a reading at a non-Catholic wedding?
Yes, if invited. The Ecumenical Directory encourages Catholics at other churches' services to join in the psalms, responses, hymns and common actions, and says they may read a lesson or preach if their hosts invite them.
Can I be confirmed without an annulment?
Yes. Divorce in itself is no obstacle. If a divorce involved unforgiven grave sin, confess first. An annulment is generally needed only to marry again — or if you have attempted marriage after divorce and wish to continue that married life.
Since my wife has been baptized, is our marriage now sacramental?
Yes. A marriage is sacramental when it is valid and both spouses are baptized. Your marriage was presumably valid but not sacramental before her baptism; her baptism did not invalidate it, so at that moment it became a sacrament.
Should I be confirmed at a parish that lets openly homosexual couples receive Communion?
Yes. Being confirmed there doesn't mean you accept its unorthodox practices. Confirmation imprints a permanent mark, gives the fullness of the Spirit and completes your initiation — every baptized person should receive it.
Can we baptize our baby in the Catholic Church even though we aren't married?
Yes — in fact Catholic parents are obliged to have their child baptized within the first few weeks. For lawful baptism there must be a founded hope that the child will be raised Catholic; if that hope is entirely lacking, baptism is delayed.
Can deacons give blessings?
Only those blessings the law expressly permits them. Priests, by contrast, can give any blessing except those reserved to the pope or bishops. The law is more restrictive for deacons.
Given the priest shortage, why does the Latin Church force its priests to be celibate?
The Church doesn't force celibacy: a priest freely chooses it long before ordination, as a gift of the Holy Spirit. And no objective studies link celibacy to the shortage — vocations are growing worldwide, and many say the real reason they hesitated is that no one asked them.
What are the implications of divorce for my family?
Your son would lose most, so think long and hard. If staying together is truly impossible, the Church allows civil divorce to divide shared goods. Separated, you may both receive the sacraments in a state of grace — but you are still married, so dating others is out unless the marriage is annulled.
My annulment was denied — may I receive the Eucharist if my conscience says the marriage was invalid?
No. Conscience (the internal forum) cannot overturn a tribunal's ruling (the external forum). Marriage cases of the baptized belong to the Church's judges, because marriage is public, not merely private. The Holy See calls the contrary position inadmissible.
If I have no access to the sacraments, can I baptize myself, or will I be damned?
You cannot baptize yourself. But if you die without any chance to be baptized, your desire for baptism suffices. Likewise, lack of access to confession does not shut you off from God's forgiveness: perfect contrition obtains it, with the resolve to confess when possible.
If my friend's ex-husband refuses to take part, can she still get an annulment?
Yes. Either spouse may petition for an annulment, and canon law provides for a respondent who refuses to cooperate: the case can proceed to a definitive sentence without him.
Why is becoming a nun not a sacrament, when ordination is?
A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ, and he decides what the sacraments are and who receives them. The priesthood is a share in Christ's own priesthood, unlike anything else; religious life is a way of living the evangelical counsels, open to men and women alike.
May Catholics ever marry non-Christians?
In some circumstances, yes. The Church calls this "disparity of cult." Such a marriage requires an express dispensation for validity, given on condition that both parties accept the essential ends and properties of marriage and that the Catholic keeps the faith and ensures the children's baptism and Catholic upbringing.
What resource should we use for confirmation candidates who are cohabiting?
Point them to the Catechism, which teaches that one must be in a state of grace to receive confirmation (CCC 1310). A couple living together as husband and wife without being married is not properly disposed for the sacrament.
As a recent convert, how long must I wait before pursuing the priesthood?
It depends on the person. Former Orthodox priests may wait less; Anglican or Lutheran clergy may wait longer, especially if married; a layman follows much the same path as any Catholic layman, though he may be asked to live as a Catholic for several years first. Talk to your vocations director.
Was grace given in the baptism of John?
No. The Council of Trent condemned the claim that John's baptism had the same effect as Christ's. As St. Thomas Aquinas explains, it did not confer grace but prepared the way for it.
May a couple married in the Church, then divorced, resume marital relations if they reconcile?
Yes. For a Catholic, civil divorce has no effect on a sacramental marriage. The spouses always keep the right to express their vows sexually, and if they reconcile they are free to live as husband and wife.
Can we have our granddaughter baptized if her parents won't?
Not unless she is in danger of death. Canon law requires that at least one parent consent and that there be a founded hope of a Catholic upbringing; only in danger of death may an infant be baptized against the parents' will.
Can a divorced person without an annulment receive the sacraments?
Yes. A divorced person generally needs an annulment only if he plans to attempt another marriage. Divorce is not grounds for excommunication, so he always has access to confession and can lead a normal sacramental life.
May our baby be baptized at Easter?
Yes. Baptism may be celebrated on any day, but Easter is especially fitting (canon 856). Pope Benedict XVI treasured having been baptized the day he was born, Holy Saturday 1927, with the newly blessed waters.
I'm thinking about divorce. What does the Church say about it?
Civil divorce is sometimes necessary and may be permissible for sufficient reasons, but it does not dissolve a valid marriage before God and does not free you to remarry, unless, for example, an annulment shows the first marriage was invalid.
Why can't women be ordained priests in the Catholic Church?
The Church has no authority to do so. John Paul II declared in *Ordinatio Sacerdotalis* that the Church has no authority whatsoever to ordain women, citing Christ's choice of only men as apostles and the Church's constant practice.
Can we have our marriage convalidated immediately?
From what you describe, no convalidation is needed. Marriages between non-Catholics are presumed valid unless proven otherwise, and since you were both validly baptized, though outside the Catholic Church, your marriage is also sacramental.
When is marriage a sacrament?
A marriage is sacramental when it is valid and both spouses are baptized (canon 1055 §2). So valid marriages between Catholics, or between a Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic, are sacramental; a valid marriage with a non-baptized person is not.
Are there requirements for being a godparent?
Canon law requires godparents for infant baptism "insofar as possible," and a godparent must lead a life of faith befitting the role. A couple in an irregular marriage does not qualify; their sponsorship would be illicit, though the baptism would still be valid.
Why may married men be ordained priests in the Eastern rites?
Because priestly celibacy is a discipline, not a doctrine, so the rites may differ. The Latin rite ordinarily requires it; the Eastern rites practice it among monks and some secular priests but do not require it of all. The Vatican respects their longstanding customs.
Is coercion grounds for an annulment?
Yes. From what you describe, the marriage sounds invalid. Canon law says a marriage entered because of force or grave fear from outside, compelling a person to marry in order to escape it, is invalid.
Can people of the same sex marry each other?
No. God instituted marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman, and neither the Church nor society can change that. Even if the legal definition changed, same-sex couples would never truly be married.
A woman was "ordained" a bishop and then ordained others. Is this valid?
No. The Church cannot validly ordain women. John Paul II declared that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women, a judgment to be held definitively by all the faithful.
Should I avoid having children if my husband refuses to raise them Catholic?
No; you were misinformed. The Church does not expect you to close yourself to children because your husband is not Christian. It expects you to do your best to raise them Catholic and to work out an agreement with your husband now.
Are prenuptial agreements forbidden?
A prenuptial agreement that anticipates divorce and dividing property invalidates the marriage commitment, because it shows deficient consent that excludes indissolubility. A legitimate exception is an agreement to protect the inheritance of children from a previous marriage.
Why would a bishop wash his hands with lemon and bread at a confirmation Mass?
The lemon cuts the oil of chrism very effectively, and the bread dries the hands. It may seem primitive, but these were available almost everywhere in the early Church, a reminder of how long the Church has been around.
Where does the Bible say Jesus baptized?
St. Augustine points to John 19:34: from Christ's side, pierced on the cross, flowed blood and water, the source of the Church's sacraments. The Catechism calls them types of baptism and the Eucharist.
If a valid marriage never existed, what exactly does an annulment nullify?
Nothing, strictly. An annulment is a "declaration of matrimonial nullity": it determines whether what appeared to be a valid marriage actually was one, and if not, declares that a valid marriage never existed.
Is my cousin's marriage in an "independent Catholic church" valid if both are baptized Catholics?
No. As Catholics they are bound to marry in the Church's form, and marrying in an "independent catholic church" does not satisfy it, so the marriage would be invalid. They would not be excommunicated, but should not receive Communion until the matter is rectified and they have confessed.
Apart from Easter's meaning, is there a reason the Church initiates catechumens then?
Easter's meaning cannot be set aside, because it is the reason. Catechumens receive baptism, the sacramental passage from death to new life made possible by Christ's Resurrection on the first Easter, so Easter is a favored time for baptisms.
Read in depth
What the Early Church Believed: Bishop, Priest, and Deacon
Holy orders is conferred in three ranks: bishops, priests and deacons. Their functions are distinct in the New Testament, though the titles were still fluid in the apostolic age. By the early second century the terms were fixed, and the Fathers regarded all three offices as essential to the Church.
The Seven Sacraments
The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is given to us (CCC 1131). There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony.
What the Early Church Believed: Confirmation
Confirmation appears in Scripture as the laying on of hands to give the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 6:1-2 lists it among the basic teachings of the faith, between baptism and the resurrection. The Fathers recognized it as a sacrament distinct from baptism, though usually given with it.
Anointing of the Sick
The anointing of the sick, instituted by Christ, gives spiritual and sometimes physical strength in serious illness or old age, especially near death. It need not wait until the point of death. God does not always heal physically, and he can bring good from suffering.
What the Early Church Believed: Marriage
Jesus restored marriage to its original status, making it a sacrament. A valid, consummated marriage between baptized persons cannot be dissolved, and remarriage after divorce while a spouse lives is adultery. The Fathers proclaimed this amid an easy-divorce culture, as the Church does today.
Celibacy and the Priesthood
Priestly celibacy is not a dogma but a discipline: Eastern Catholic priests are commonly married, and some married convert clergy are Latin priests. Celibacy for the kingdom is commended by Jesus and Paul, the "husband of one wife" rule does not require marriage, and the Church forbids no one to marry.
What the Early Church Believed: Women and the Priesthood
The Church has always answered no to the ordination of women. Women could pray and prophesy in church but not teach with the authority of the clergy. The Fathers knew orders of virgins, widows and deaconesses, but none were ordained. In 1994 John Paul II declared that the Church has no authority to ordain women, a teaching to be held definitively.
Infant Baptism
Fundamentalists hold baptism is only a public sign after an adult conversion. The Church has always taught that baptism remits sin and saves, and that Christ's call to baptism includes children. Scripture's household baptisms, the parallel with circumcision, and early Christian practice all support baptizing infants.
What the Early Church Believed: Born Again in Baptism
Jesus said no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5). Those who call baptism a mere symbol say the "water" is the preached word, but the early Christians uniformly understood this verse as water baptism, the way we are born again.
What the Early Church Believed: Baptismal Grace
The New Testament repeatedly teaches that in baptism God gives grace: we are saved, buried with Christ, incorporated into his body, washed, regenerated. Protestants generally treat baptism as an ordinance that only represents an effect, but they cannot find texts for this view, and the Fathers unanimously affirmed baptism as a means of grace.
Baptism: Immersion Only?
Catholics may baptize by immersion, pouring or sprinkling; Fundamentalists claim only immersion is valid because *baptizo* means "immerse." But *baptizo* also means washing and pouring, Christian baptism has a specialized meaning, immersion was often impractical, and the early Church baptized by pouring.
What the Early Church Believed: Trinitarian Baptism
A valid baptism requires the right intention, water, and the form "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). Jehovah's Witnesses sometimes use no formula, and "Jesus Only" Pentecostals baptize "in the name of Jesus," so their baptisms are invalid. The Fathers consistently required the Trinitarian form.
What the Early Church Believed: The Necessity of Baptism
Christians have always taken literally that baptism now saves us (1 Peter 3:21). The Catechism teaches baptism is necessary for salvation for those who have heard the gospel and could ask for it (CCC 1257). The necessity is normative, not absolute: baptism of blood and baptism of desire can save.
What the Early Church Believed: Baptismal Regeneration
Some Protestants hold that baptism is only a sign that does nothing to the soul. This view, nearly five centuries old, is modern compared with the original tradition: the early Christians taught that baptism regenerates.
In Scripture
- Matthew 28:19
- John 20:22-23
- James 5:14-15
- John 3:5
- Acts 2:38-39
- Acts 16:15, 33
- Colossians 2:11-12
- Acts 8:26-38
- Romans 6:3-4
- Acts 8:14-17
- Acts 2:1-4
- Ephesians 1:13
- Mark 6:12-13
- Matthew 19:12
- 1 Corinthians 7:32-35
- Luke 18:29-30
- Mark 10:6-12
- Matthew 19:4-6
- Genesis 2:24
- Ephesians 5:25-32
- Mark 10:6-9
- 1 Timothy 2:5
- Luke 23:39-43
- Mark 10:9
- 1 Corinthians 7
- John 1:17
- Luke 22:32
- John 19:34
- 1 Timothy 5:19-22
- 2 Timothy 4:5
- Titus 1:5
- 1 Timothy 5:17
- Acts 6:1-6
- 2 Corinthians 3:6
- 2 Corinthians 6:4
- 2 Corinthians 11:23
- Ephesians 3:7
- 1 Peter 5:1
- Philippians 1:1
- 1 Timothy 5:22
- 1 Timothy 4:14
- Acts 9:17
- Acts 19:6
- Hebrews 6:2
- Hebrews 6:1-2
- Mark 6:13
- Matthew 8:17
- Galatians 4:13-14
- 2 Timothy 4:20
- 1 Timothy 5:23
- Mark 8:22-26
- James 4:14-15
- Hebrews 12:7
- Hebrews 12:11
- 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
- Galatians 4:13
- Luke 16:18
- Mark 10:11-12
- Romans 7:2-3
- 1 Corinthians 7:12-15
- 1 Corinthians 7:10-11
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
- Mark 1:30
- Genesis 1:28
- 1 Corinthians 7:2
- 1 Corinthians 7:8-9
- 1 Corinthians 7:3
- 1 Corinthians 7:6-7
- 1 Corinthians 7:27-34
- 1 Corinthians 7:38
- Matthew 19:10
- Matthew 19:11-12
- 1 Timothy 3:2
- 1 Timothy 3:4-5
- 1 Corinthians 7:32
- Matthew 19:27
- Jeremiah 16:1-2
- 1 Corinthians 7:35
- 1 Timothy 4:3
- 1 Timothy 5:9-16
- 1 Timothy 5:11-12
- Matthew 22:30
- 1 Corinthians 11:1-16
- 1 Timothy 2:11-14
- 1 Corinthians 14:34-38
- 1 Corinthians 14:34-35
- 1 Corinthians 11:3
- Genesis 3:16
- Acts 2:38
- Acts 2:39
- Acts 22:16
- 1 Peter 3:21
- Matthew 19:14
- Luke 18:15
- Romans 6:3
- Acts 16:15
- Acts 16:33
- 1 Corinthians 1:16
- Matthew 28:19-20
- Luke 18:16
- Colossians 2:12-13
- Titus 3:5
- John 3:3
- 2 Kings 5:14
- Mark 16:16
- Matthew 10:32
- Romans 6:1-4
- 1 Corinthians 6:11
- 1 Corinthians 12:13
- Galatians 3:26-27
- Ephesians 5:25-27
- 1 Peter 3:18-22
- 1 Corinthians 1:14-17
- 1 Peter 3:20-21
- Psalm 1:3-6
- Mark 10:38
- Luke 11:38
- Mark 7:3-4
- Luke 12:50
- Acts 1:4-5
- Acts 2:17
- Acts 2:18
- Acts 2:33
- Acts 11:15-17
- Acts 19:2-3
- Acts 10:44
- Acts 10:47
- Acts 19:1-6
- Acts 2:41
- Acts 8:16
- Acts 10:48
- Acts 19:5
- Acts 1:5
- Acts 1:22
- Acts 10:37
- Acts 11:16
- Acts 13:24
- Acts 18:25
- Acts 19:4
- Matthew 28:18-19
- 1 John 5:6
- Luke 23:43
- Galatians 3:27-28
- Jeremiah 22:13
- Isaiah 16:1-2
- Isaiah 33:16-18
- Psalm 81:6
- John 6:56