According to some
Christian denominations
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ� ...
, a sacramental character is an indelible
spiritual ''mark'' (the meaning of the word ''character'' in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
) imprinted by any of three of the seven
sacraments
A sacrament is a Christian rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of the rea ...
:
baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
,
confirmation
In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...
, and
holy orders.
History
The doctrine was expressed by
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...
in his religious controversies. The doctrine of the sacramental character was
dogmatically defined at the 16th century
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation, it has been described a ...
.
Teaching by Christian denomination
Catholicism
This teaching is expressed as follows in the ''
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' ( la, Catechismus Catholicae Ecclesiae; commonly called the ''Catechism'' or the ''CCC'') is a catechism promulgated for the Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II in 1992. It aims to summarize, in book ...
'' (1992), §1121:
If it is doubtful whether a person has received the sacrament, the sacrament may be
administered conditionally (using words such as for
conditional baptism: "If thou art not baptized, I baptize thee
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"). However, such an administration is only
valid and effective to the extent that no valid administration of the same sacrament has already occurred, as it does not in any event constitute an effective repetition of a valid previous administration of that sacrament.
The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' §698, explains as follows the significance of the image of "seal", used as an alternative to that of "character":
Lutheranism
Lutheran theologian
Wolfhart Pannenberg stated that "in terms of the thought of promise and sending that constantly govern the ordained and claim them for Christ's service, we no longer need to oppose
ndelible characteron the Lutheran side, since this point of view finds expression in the Lutheran churches, too. Here there is no repetition of ordination."
Anglicanism
The
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
of the
Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America
The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine provinces. The presiding bishop of ...
teaches that "The bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble".
See also
*
Sacraments (Catholic Church)
There are seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, which according to Catholic theology were instituted by Jesus and entrusted to the Church. Sacraments are visible rites seen as signs and efficacious channels of the grace of God to all those ...
*
Lutheran sacraments
*
Anglican sacraments
*
Conditional sacrament
*
Sacramental matter and form According to Catholic theology, the sacraments of the Catholic Church can be described in their matter and form.
Description
The terminology of ''form'' and ''matter'' to describe the sacraments seems to have been first proposed by William of Au ...
References
Further reading
"Character (in Catholic Theology)" ''
Catholic Encyclopedia
The ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'' (also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedia'') i ...
''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sacramental Character
Catholic theology and doctrine
Sacraments of the Catholic Church
category:Sacramental theology