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According to Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
 teaching, a sacramental character is an indelible spiritual mark (the meaning of the word character in Latin) imprinted by three of the seven sacraments: Baptism
Baptism

In Christianity, baptism is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted as a full member of the Christian Church and, in the view of some, as a member of the particular Church in which the baptism is administered....
, Confirmation, and Holy Orders
Holy Orders

Historically, the word "order" designated an established civil body or corporation with a hierarchy, and :wikt:ordinatio meant legal incorporation into an ordo....
.

This teaching is expressed as follows in the , 1121:

The characters these three sacraments imprint are held to differ from each other, with each character remaining indelible, so that nobody can receive the sacrament in question more than once.






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According to Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
 teaching, a sacramental character is an indelible spiritual mark (the meaning of the word character in Latin) imprinted by three of the seven sacraments: Baptism
Baptism

In Christianity, baptism is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted as a full member of the Christian Church and, in the view of some, as a member of the particular Church in which the baptism is administered....
, Confirmation, and Holy Orders
Holy Orders

Historically, the word "order" designated an established civil body or corporation with a hierarchy, and :wikt:ordinatio meant legal incorporation into an ordo....
.

This teaching is expressed as follows in the , 1121:

The characters these three sacraments imprint are held to differ from each other, with each character remaining indelible, so that nobody can receive the sacrament in question more than once. The doctrine of the sacramental character is thus a particular expression of the long-established teaching that baptism, confirmation, and holy orders may not be repeated.

One who receives a lower grade of holy orders may receive a higher. Thus, though one who has been ordained a deacon may not again be ordained a deacon, he may be ordained a priest. Similarly, while a priest may not again be ordained a priest, he may be ordained a bishop. There is no higher grade to which a bishop may be ordained. Each higher grade is considered to confer a deepening or intensification of the character of holy orders.

If it is doubtful whether a person has received one of the three sacraments in question, the sacrament may be administered conditionally
Conditional baptism

Mainline Christian theology has traditionally held that only one Baptism is valid to confer the benefits of this sacrament. Therefore, in cases where the validity of a baptism is questioned a "conditional" baptism may be performed....
, but not, properly speaking, repeated.

The doctrine of the sacramental character was dogmatically defined
Dogmatic definition

In Catholicism, a dogmatic definition is an extraordinary papal infallibility statement published by a pope or an ecumenical council concerning a matter of faith or morality, the belief in which the Catholic Church requires of all Christianity ....
 at the 16th century Council of Trent
Council of Trent

The Council of Trent was the 16th century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. Considered one of the Church's most important councils, it convened in Trento between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods....
, but was held for at least 1000 years before, and was written about by Augustine of Hippo.

The , 698 explains as follows the significance of the image of "seal", used as an alternative to that of "character":

See also

  • Sacraments (Catholic Church)
  • Anglican sacraments
    Anglican sacraments

    In keeping with its prevailing self-identity as a via media or "middle path" of Western Christianity, Anglican sacramental theology expresses elements in keeping with its status as a church in the Catholicism tradition and a church of the English Reformation....


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