Catholic News

The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church describe Holy Orders and Matrimony as the two sacraments “at the service of communion and mission.” This description is profoundly important for understanding both the life of the Church and many of the spiritual and cultural battles we face today. These sacraments are not merely private realities or personal lifestyle choices. They are sacramental vocations given by God for the bu

Through this sacrament, “Christ tells the sick: ‘You are not alone. I am with you,’” he continued. “He offers healing of the body, when it serves our salvation, and always healing of the heart— freedom from fear, forgiveness of sins, and the grace to endure with faith.”

In a culture that can confuse identity, weaken commitment and reduce love to feelings alone, the Church proclaims with confidence and compassion what Jesus Himself reveals: that marriage is not a private experiment, but a divine gift — an enduring covenant of faithful love, ordered toward communion and fruitfulness, and elevated by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament.

“The sacraments are the liturgy of liberty,” he said. “Through the sacraments, we receive the Holy Spirit and strengthen the Spirit in our lives. As St. Paul says in I Corinthians 3:17, ‘Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.’”