Roman Catholic Churches

The Roman church continues to celebrate seven sacraments. However, the Second Vatican Council has implemented changes aimed at making the texts and symbolism of the sacraments more intelligible so that lay members can become more involved. To this end, the role of the faith of the assembly and the role of Scripture in sacramental worship has been emphasized. Although these changes have revitalized some members of the church, the Roman church has witnessed a decline in the number participating in the sacraments. The Roman Catholic church continues to celebrate seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, reconciliation, matrimony, holy orders, and anointing of the sick. While Catholic scholars freely admit that only baptism and the Eucharist are clearly testified in the New Testament, the official teaching of the church is that all are instituted by Jesus Christ. The ordinary practice of the church is to baptize infants; introduce children of seven or eight years of age to th…