Number of sacraments

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Some leaders in our RCIA group like to tell how there were many, perhaps over 100, sacraments in the church at one time. However, the sacraments which we have now, numbering 7, seem to be traceable quite far back in our history. There seems to be at least some consensus as to the number and type of sacrament at least 1000 years ago, with Trent defining things more clearly later on. I know that it has always been pretty much agreed upon that Baptism and Communion were on the top of the list but is there any validity to this multiple sacrament idea or has the number always been relatively low?
 
I suggest this article in the Catholic Encyclopedia, especially the section entitled Number of Sacraments:

newadvent.org/cathen/13295a.htm

There is a distinction between Sacrament and sacrament-- a better term for the latter is sacramental (things like holy water, the rosary, etc).

Sacramentals do number in the 100s or more. But as for the Sacraments-- there are only 7 of them and there has never been any other number of Sacraments.

This is a dangerous things to throw out to RCIA without a proper, detailed explanation as it could lead to error.
 
I agree that this teaching is dangerous-I’d like to know its’ source, however, since I’m sure that this statement about the large number of sacraments has been set forth somewhere and is not just an innocent confusion over the difference between sacraments and sacramentals. I’m afraid it is already a part of some people’s pop mythology. Thank you for the link to the Catholic Encyclopedia-I’ve read that article before but I reread parts of it now and it is very informative on the subject.
 
Actually for some, there are only 6 sacraments.

They count marriage and penance as one. 😃

Jim
 
fhansen said:
Some leaders in our RCIA group like to tell how there were many, perhaps over 100, sacraments in the church at one time. However, the sacraments which we have now, numbering 7, seem to be traceable quite far back in our history. There seems to be at least some consensus as to the number and type of sacrament at least 1000 years ago, with Trent defining things more clearly later on. I know that it has always been pretty much agreed upon that Baptism and Communion were on the top of the list but is there any validity to this multiple sacrament idea or has the number always been relatively low?
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100 is an exageration, but it is true that in times different breakaway sects Added or included other actions as Sacraments. This is why the Church responded not only at Trent but at other prior Councils to define the Seven Sacraments. The Catholic Chruch has always held to Seven Sacraments.
 
Thank you. Any idea on source material about this? I’d like to be able to demonstrate that the excess was an aberration rather than the rule at any given time.
 
If Marriage and Penance were the same, you should wait until you need Last Rites to get married.
 
No wonder my friends sent their condolence when they found out I was getting married. 😃 It’s all good though. Been married for 14 years.👍
 
I’ve actually been doing my penance now for 12 years straight and seem to have gotten pretty used to it-it doesn’t even seem like penance anymore.
 
The Seven Sacraments were established by Jesus Christ and therefore have always been there. However, different Church Fathers called various things “Sacraments”, which is what your RCIA leaders are referring to. It took a while for the Church to develop the current definition of “Sacrament”, so it’s a question of definition and classification, not substance. It’s similar to the Trinity, which was always true, but not precisely defined until several generations after the Church began.
 
fhansen said:
If Marriage and Penance were the same, you should wait until you need Last Rites to get married.
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A old friend of mine use to say, a “marriage is nothing more than a happy funeral.”

It was a joke of course, he was happily married for over 50 years before he passed away from cancer. In his lifetime, he and his wife took in some 16 foster children, who in their adult life, continued to visit and send christmas cards.

JIm
 
The Orthodox do not make a distinction between Sacrament and sacramental. I see no harm in teaching this unless it is suggested that the seven are somehow inappropriate. After all the Orthodox accept the seven as do the Catholics. All Sacraments and the sacramentals lead to God. So I don’t make a problem when there is none.

The more serious issue is the denial by Protestants in some cases of all but two and in some cases a denial that any Sacraments exist at all.

CDL
 
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