Sacramentals

Sacramentals (sing. the Sacramental ) are sacred according to the Catholic understanding of characters in a certain resemblance to the sacraments denote spiritual effects and are obtained through the intercession of the Church ( cf. can. CIC 1166 ). They fit like a ring around the sacraments and extend it into the daily lives of Christians. Unlike sacraments but they do not act out of himself. Their effect is based on the prayer of consecration of the church and the faith and confidence of the individual Christian, the donor and recipient.

Sacramentals are beings full features of the church and the sacramental expression of their basic structure. The blessings are praises God for his works and gifts of sake. The Church encourages the faithful to appreciate the sacramentals and to use since they are an act within the meaning of the royal priestly vocation of every Christian to make out of faith and in communion with the Church 's daily life and in the gifts of God to make use of spirit of the Gospel

Types of sacramentals

There are different types of sacramentals. They include in particular consecrations and blessings, exorcisms, processions, liturgical celebrations and rituals. They include both the consecration or blessing of persons ( virginal consecration, religious profession, blessing an abbot or an abbess ) and objects ( altar consecration, consecration of the chalice ) and locations ( church consecration, cemetery blessing ). The blessing of children and the meals are examples of sacramentals, which will be donated to the family. The blessing of the palm branches on Palm Sunday, the gift of the Ashes, the washing of feet on Holy Thursday, the Cross on Good Friday worship, the Taufgedächtnis and the Church funeral are also sacramentals.

Orthodoxy knows of sacramentals Artoklasia ( breaking of bread ) and the Great Water consecration on the day of Jesus' baptism.

Some harriers have lasting effect if people Christ and the service of the Church and places and objects are consecrated for liturgical use. These ordinations are a donated once and for all and never repeated. What was once consecrated or blessed by consecration or blessing for worship, must not be misused ( CIC, can 1171 ). It may, however his consecration or blessing lose again ( profanation ), either by destruction or by a decree of the competent ecclesiastical authority.

The Benediktionale determines whether a Sacramental may only be donated by clerics or clergy of a certain degree of consecration ( bishop, priest, deacon ) or even by laymen. The more a blessing to the Church as such, and their sacramental center is based, the more it is associated with the institutions of the ministry ( bishop, priest, deacon ). So about the blessings of public institutions are carried out by a public official who represents the Church in this area. Are therefore subject to the bishop blessings, in which a special relationship with the diocese is visible; Priests, deacons or appointed laymen bless the life of the parish or in local public life; Parents bless the family.