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Thomistic sacramental theology

Thomistic sacramental theology is St. Thomas Aquinas's theology of the sacraments of the Catholic Church. It can be found through his writings in the 13th-century works Summa contra Gentiles and in the Summa Theologiæ.

General view of the sacraments

In the Catholic Church, there are seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Extreme unction (also called "Anointing of the Sick"), Holy Orders, and Matrimony.

From Summa Contra Gentiles, Book 4:

Aquinas also states, in the Summa Theologica: "a sacrament is nothing else than a sanctification conferred on man with some outward sign. Wherefore, since by receiving orders a consecration is conferred on man by visible signs, it is clear that Order is a sacrament."

Council of Trent

Thomistic sacramental theology was definitely confirmed by the Seventh Session (March 3, 1547) of the Council of Trent that elaborated 13 canons of the decree De sacramentis as a reply to the Protestant Reform (e. g. the Five solae).

See also

References

Further reading