An Outline of the Teaching on the Sacraments in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches

Abstract

Both the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches recognize the Sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Confession (Pokajanije), Ordination, Marriage and Holy Unction. All other acts aside from these seven are considered to be rites or sacramentals. Although such a distinction of holy actions and rites appear in both catechisms and textbooks of dogmatic theology, the history and the experience of the Church indicates that the question of distinguishing and numbering the sacraments has never been
clear. As the Christian West strived to define the concept of a sacrament and its action and define their number, the “Holy Fathers of the Christian East have never interested themselves with the number of mysteries and have never attempted to number them”. They attempted to uncover the idea of the universal and diverse activity of the Holy Spirit in the Church that sanctifies man in sundry ways in various life situations. However, the culmination of all the Sacraments has always been the Holy Eucharist. The Holy Eucharist is a rich treasure of holiness which unites us with God, and every sacrament is fulfilled and completed by it. The teaching on the seven sacraments borrowed from Latin scholasticism found its way into Orthodox theological textbooks. This scholastic system of the seven sacraments was accepted in Orthodox theology, however the Orthodox Church has never officially recognised any specific number of sacraments.
In conclusion, it can be stated that “in Orthodoxy, among the broader and narrower concepts of “sacrament” (μυστήριον), a strict classification is not found.” Moreover, the entire life of the Church should be perceived as unity, one great mystery whose aspects are expressed in a great diversity of actions that are realized once or on several occasions throughout one’s life.