Catholic Sacraments

Research papers on the Catholic Sacraments may cover all the sacraments or just take one sacrament and examine it in full. Whatever you need written on regarding Catholism or the Sacraments, have the theology writers at Paper Masters help you understand these important rituals.

The Catholic Church's theology believes that Jesus instituted seven different sacraments and it is the responsibility of the Catholic Church to protect those sacraments. The sacraments are:

1. Baptism
2. Confirmation
3. Eucharist
4. Penance
5. Anointing of the Sick
6. Holy Orders
7. Matrimony.

The sacraments are divided into three different categories:

1. The sacraments of initiation
2. The sacraments of healing
3. The sacraments of service

The Sacraments of initiation include baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. Western Catholic churches usually pour water three times over a new believers head in a ceremony of initiation. Eastern Catholic Churches usually do baptism by immersing or submersing. During the Confirmation sacrament, a priest or mister anoints a believer with oil. This anointing ceremony marks the moment when the believer receives the Holy Spirit. In the sacrament of Eucharist, believers partake in the Body and Blood of Christ. According to Catholic belief, the bread and wine that are used in the ceremony are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

The Sacraments of Healing include Penance and anointing the sick. Catholic's believe that a person is forgiven of sins through the process of baptism. Once a person is baptized they cannot be baptized again when they sin again. Instead, the sacrament of penance requires the believer to feel remorse, confess the wrongdoing to a priest, then a priest must absolve the sinner, and finally penance is achieved. In the sacrament of anointing the sick, a priest will anoint the head of a believer with blessed oil. In many cases, this anointing takes place before the death of a believer and is known as the Last Rites.

Finally, the Sacraments of Service are made up of the sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony. The sacrament of holy orders pertains to the calling of a man into the service of the church. This dedication is set-aside for those who become the church's bishops, priests, and deacons. Matrimony or marriage is the final sacrament. The Catholic Church believes that marriage should happen between two baptized individuals. It is believed that the sacraments provide the couple with what they need to be married and raise a family. The Catholic Church does not believe in divorce.