Seven sacraments; real presence in Qurbana (Eucharist); infant baptism; chrismation
The Syro-Malabar Church affirms all seven sacraments as instituted by Christ and as vehicles of grace: Baptism, Chrismation (confirmation), Holy Qurbana (Eucharist), Penance (reconciliation), Anointing of the Sick, Ordination, and Matrimony. Sacraments are understood as effective signs of grace; they not only signify grace but actually confer it through the sacramental action and the operation of the Holy Spirit.
Baptism, administered by immersion or infusion (sprinkling) of water with the Trinitarian formula, is the sacrament that initiates a person into the church and remits both original sin and actual sins. Chrismation immediately follows baptism and perfects the grace of baptism through the anointing with sacred chrism (blessed oil) and the invocation of the Holy Spirit. The Syro-Malabar Church practices infant baptism, understanding that children belong to the church and inherit the benefits of salvation.
The Holy Qurbana (the Chaldean term for the Eucharist) is the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, offered in the Chaldean liturgy. Through the epiclesis (invocation of the Holy Spirit), the bread and wine are believed to become the body and blood of Christ through a change known as transubstantiation (the substance of bread and wine becomes the substance of the body and blood of Christ). The Eucharist is celebrated regularly and is the center of Syro-Malabar worship.
Key Distinctions
- Term used:
- sacraments (mysteries)
- Sacrament count:
- seven
- Baptism mode:
- immersion or infusion; infant baptism
- Baptism recipients:
- infants and adults
- Eucharist presence:
- real presence / transubstantiation (Holy Qurbana)
Scripture References
Sources
- Council of Trent on sacraments
- Syro-Malabar liturgical texts
- Catechism of the Catholic Church