The role of the sacraments concerning salvation according to the Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic and Protestant Churches both agree, that salvation comes by grace through faith. [1] They believe salvation comes entirely from God, as He is salvation (Isaiah 12:2), and is the one who initiates faith, which is seen as a gift (Ephesians 2:8). Where these groups disagree is in how a man becomes justified through grace. The Catholic Church view as justification, the two-fold process the Protestant Church separates in justification and sanctification. In the first phase grace is freely given, in the second it is given through works. The Catholic Church’s liturgy is organized around seven sacraments that are supposed to touch all parts of the Christian life. Their purpose is to produce grace, and according to the Catechism, they are essential for salvation. [2] This paper will study each of these seven sacraments separately to examine how they are related to Salvation in the Catholic Church.


The first stage of justification begins with the sacrament of Baptism. According to the catholic encyclopedia, baptism “cleanses from original sin”, through this rite, an individual becomes a new creature.[3] Sharing in Christ’s death and resurrection,[4] one is reborn (John 3:3) and infused with justifying grace.[5] Because of the salvific powers of Baptism, parents are urged to baptize their children as quickly as possible. [6]


Once a baptized person has professed faith, and reached the age of reason, he is able to partake of a second sacrament called Confirmation. At Confirmation, the believer’s Baptism is ratified, thus his initiation to the Catholic Church is completed.[7] It is through this sacrament that one receives the Holy Spirit, in order to strengthen their faith and avoid temptation. The second phase of justification begins at confirmation, because it gives additional grace to what is received at Baptism, which cannot be infused prior to faith.[8]


The second phase of justification has begun, and from this point on, the following sacraments will all participate to earn more sanctified grace.[9] The third sacrament is the Eucharist. It has been declared to have primacy among the sacraments, for the nourishment of those who take part[10] and its importance in uniting and strengthening the church.[11] Through Christ’s re-sacrifice[12], those who have been baptized and confirmed can now participate with the community of faith in being nourished by Christ’s body and blood in the form of bread and wine.[13] The Eucharistic is offered for the sins of the living and the dead. Communicants receive forgiveness for “venial sins” and are preserved from “grave sins.”[14]


The following sacrament has a few names: penance, reconciliation, conversion, confession. Its purpose is to reconcile men to God. It is for the forgiveness of sins, including mortal sins committed after baptism. Confession is the first step to returning to God after sinning against him. Confession must be done, before being allowed to participate in the Eucharist.[15] The confession can be followed by the performance of an act of penance, suited for the offence, and then based on the passage in John 20:20-21, the minister forgives the penitent.[16] Through this process, the justification lost due to sin can be restored through a continuous process of confession and repentance. Because this sacrament forgives mortal sins, we see its importance for salvation.[17]


According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the covenant marriage has been raised to the status of sacrament by Christ. Marriage is designed for the union of a man and woman who unite to form a lifelong partnership. It is for the good of the spouses, procreation and their children’s education. The sacrament of matrimony infuses grace intended to “perfect the couple’s love and to strengthen their indissoluble unity. By this grace they help one another attain holiness.”[18]


The sacrament of Holy Orders is given to people, to serve “in the name and person of Christ in the midst of the community”, for the service of the faithful. There are three degrees of this sacrament, the first degree for deacons, then presbyters and bishops. It is given through the laying of hands, followed by a prayer of consecration asking God to grant the graces of the Holy Spirit required for this ministry.[19]


The final and seventh sacrament is the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. It finds its roots in James 5:14. The sacrament can only be performed by a priest, using oil blessed by the bishop. The sacrament is given to Catholics facing illness or who are close to death. The special grace infused by the anointing of the sick, gives strength to the sick person, courage to endure through suffering, and forgiveness for sins that were not obtained through the sacrament of penance. [20]


Having studied briefly all seven of the sacraments performed in the Catholic Church, we can conclude as they have, that to them sacraments are necessary for salvation.[21] Salvation is by grace through faith, but we have seen that it not so simple. The first step to become part of the catholic church, one must be baptized, to be cleansed by the original sin, and saved. Once a person confirms their baptism, they receive the Holy Spirit, and the process of sanctification begins. The believer receives more grace through the different sacraments. Communion is a way to get spiritual nourishment, penance to gain reconciliation and forgiveness for sins committed after baptism. This sacrament of reconciliation implies that there is no salvation without confession. Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders and the anointing of the sick all give extra grace to the one receiving the sacrament. For each sacrament the grace is proper to the sacrament and equips the believer for a particular situation. Catholics view salvation as a process, grace is first freely given, but in order to be saved, a believer must continually live a good life, which must include partaking of the sacraments, for the acquisition of more grace and forgiven for sins committed.


















[1] John Ankerberg & John Weldon, Protestants & Catholics: Do They Now Agree? (Eugene, OR.: Harvest House Pub, 1995), 40.


[2] U.S. Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Ligouri, MO: USCCB Publishing, 1995), 341, 319.


[3] U.S. Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 354.


[4] Robert C. Broderick, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Rev. and updated ed. (Nashville: T. Nelson, 1987), 65.


[5] Ankerberg & Weldon, Protestants & Catholics: Do They Now Agree?, 42.


[6] Carolyn Nystrom Mark A. Noll, Is the Reformation Over? an Evangelical Assessment of Contemporary Roman Catholicism (Grand Rapids, MI.: Baker Academic, 2005), 140.


[7] U.S. Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed., 367, 359-60.


[8] Ankerberg & Weldon, Protestants & Catholics: Do They Now Agree?, 67.


[9] U.S. Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed., 534-535.


[10] G.C Berkouwer, The Sacraments (Grand Rapids: MI.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), 29.


[11] Broderick, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Rev. and updated ed., 198.


[12] Ankerberg & Weldon, Protestants & Catholics: Do They Now Agree?, 67.


[13] Norman L. Geisler and Ralph E. MacKenzie, Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 1995), 256.


[14] U.S. Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed., 395.


[15] U.S. Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed., 409-15, 395.


[16] Broderick, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Rev. and updated ed., 467.


[17] Ankerberg & Weldon, Protestants & Catholics: Do They Now Agree?, 67.


[18] U.S. Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed., 446, 457.


[19] U.S. Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed., 444-6.


[20] U.S. Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed., 420, 425.


[21] U.S. Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed., 319.