According to Price (2004), there are seven sacraments accepted by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches: 1) Baptism; 2) Eucharist (Communion; 3) Confession (Reconciliation); 4) Confirmation (Chrismation); 5) Matrimony; 6) Anointing of the Sick (Extreme Unction); and 7) Holy Orders (1). The three sacraments of Christian initiation are given once and include Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist. The healing sacraments include Confession and Anointing the Sick. The sacraments are external rites that are external illustrations of internal spiritual grace, ôA sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give graceö (Seven 2004, 1). From 1962 through 1965, Pope John Paul XXIII held a series of church councils known as Vatican II. During Vatican II, sixteen documents (decrees, declarations, and constitutions) were created that were meant to help modernize the Church and make it more open to all Christians. As Pope John Paul XXIII declared in Unitatis Redintegratio (Decree on Ecumenism), ôThe restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Councilö (Vatican 1965). Vatican II resulted in subtle but significant changes to the seven Sacraments.
Before Vatican II the seven Sacraments were viewed as a group of unrelated objects. The changes wrought by Vatican II transformed them into communal celebrations of personal encounter. Many were outraged by the Decree on Ecumenism, which enabled non-Catholic ministers to offer the Sacraments of Confession, Extreme Unction, and the Eucharist. One of the main purposes of making changes to the Sacraments was to adapt them to the needs of modern times, in order to make their true meaning more readily grasped by the faithful. According to Marthaler (1992), changes in terminology and even meaning of various words, concepts, or sacraments over time is nothing new in Christian history or worship. The phrase ôI believeö, acc...