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What are the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church?
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Roman Catholicism
St. Peter's Basilica on St. Peter's Square, Vatican City.
The Roman Catholic Church celebrates seven sacraments, which are considered essential rites that serve as visible signs of invisible divine grace. These sacraments are:12
- Baptism: The sacrament of initiation that marks admission into the faith.12
- Eucharist: The central rite of worship in which bread and wine are consecrated and transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ.12
- Confirmation: A sacrament of initiation that seals a baptized person in their faith through the laying on of hands and anointing with chrism.12
- Reconciliation (Confession): A sacrament of healing that provides an opportunity for the forgiveness of sins and renewal of communion with God and the Church.12
- Anointing of the Sick: A sacrament administered to provide strength and comfort to those suffering from serious illness or injury.12
- Marriage: A sacrament in which a baptized man and woman enter into an indissoluble, lifelong union.12
- Holy Orders: The sacrament of ordination for deacons, priests, and bishops, which confers specific ministerial powers.12