The sacraments of Catholicism involve spiritual activities such as baptism, confirmation, penance, and participation in the Mass. These are presided over by a Catholic priest who acts as a mediator between God and man. These special activities are held to dispense God's "grace" (here, as a spiritual substance or power) and God's favor. Rome's sevenfold sacramental system was apparently initiated for the first time in the twelfth century and continues today: "For the Roman Catholic his whole life from the cradle to the grave, and indeed beyond the grave is purgatory, is conditioned by the sacramental approach." Thus, understanding the sacraments is essential to understanding Catholicism. Through the sacraments, "...internal grace is that [power] received in the interior of the soul, enabling us to act supernaturally." Further, "the supernatural gift of God infused into the very essence of the soul as a habit is habitual grace. The grace is also called sanctifying or justifying grace, because it is included in both..." The real difference between the Protestant and Catholic view of sacraments is not the number of sacraments, two versus seven, but rather in the meaning and purpose of the sacraments. Protestantism sees its sacraments - baptism and communion - primarily as symbols and memorials of vital theological truths. But Catholicism sees the sacraments as actually changing a person inwardly, as through a form of spiritual empowering. In Protestantism a sacrament underscores a promise of God; in Catholicism the sacraments infuse a special grace into the soul in order to meet a special need. Catholic sacraments are an outward sign of an infused grace. We have summarized the results of each of the sacraments below:
 

1. Baptism
    (Which is not repeated) cleanses from original sin, removes other sins and consequent punishment, provides spiritual rebirth or regeneration (John 3:3), beings the process of justification, and is "necessary for salvation."
 

2. Confirmation
    (Not repeated) bestows the Holy Spirit in a special sense, leading to "an increasing of sanctifying grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit" as well as their spiritual power and a sealing to the Catholic Church.
 

3. Penance
    Removes the penalty of sins committed after baptism and confirmation. Mortal or "deadly" sins are remitted and the "justification" lost by such sins is restored as a continuing process.
 

4. Holy Eucharist
    Is where Christ is re-sacrificed and the benefits of Calvary are continually applied anew to the believers.
 

5. Marriage
    Is where grace is given to remain in the bonds of matrimony indicates with the requirements of the Catholics Church.
 

6. Anointing the sick
    (Formerly extreme unction) bestows grace on those who are sick, old, or near death and helps in forgiveness of sins and sometimes the physical healing of the body.
 

7. Holy orders
    (Not repeated) confers special grace and spiritual power upon bishops, priests, and deacons for leadership in the Church as representatives of Christ "for all eternity."
 

    The Catholic Council of Trent (1545-63), whose decrees remain authoritative, declared as "anathema" (divinely cursed) anyone who would deny the seven sacraments of Rome: "If anyone says that the sacraments...were not all instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, or that there are more or less than seven...or that any one of these seven is not truly and intrinsically a sacrament, let him be anathema (divinely cursed). "Further, "if anyone says that the sacraments...are not necessary for salvation...and that without them...men obtain from God through faith alone the grace of justification...let him be anathema (divinely cursed)." Canon Five reads, "If anyone says that baptism is optional, that is, not necessary for salvation, let him be anathema (divinely cursed)." What this means is that Catholicism offers what is termed a sacerdotal salvation - a salvation that is given through the functions of the priesthood, namely the sacraments. In the end, salvation is a function of (1) God's grace, (2) individual faith and works, and (3) the Roman Catholic system of sacraments. (That is why the Church has traditionally taught that there is only one true Church - Rome - and that those outside of the Church cannot be saved since they are partakers of neither the one true Church not the sacraments, both of which help procure salvation.) In our next two questions we will see what the Bible teaches about salvation and then compare this with the Catholic view of salvation in greater detail.