Sacramental

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A sacramental is a sacred sign or ritual in the Christian tradition that, like the sacraments, has a spiritual effect because the Church prays with and for the faithful. Sacramentals help bring the grace of the sacraments into everyday life.

They are recognized by many churches around the world, including the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East, Lutheran, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Independent Catholic communities.

The Bible mentions healing acts connected to prayer and anointing with oil, which underpins the idea of sacramentals. Holy water is a sacramental reminding believers of baptism. Other common sacramentals include blessed candles, blessed palms, blessed ashes, a blessed cross necklace, a head covering worn during prayer, blessed salt, holy cards, and religious images such as a crucifix. People often keep sacramentals at home, like a family Bible on a home altar. Signs such as Ichthys emblems on vehicles can be sacramentals, and engagement rings blessed in a betrothal ceremony can become sacramentals.

As an adjective, sacramental means “of or pertaining to sacraments.”

The biblical basis for sacramentals includes Jesus’ own use of signs and actions that point to grace, such as using mud to heal a blind man and telling him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. References to prayer cloths and holy oil for healing appear in Acts 19:11–12 and James 5:14–15.

The Catholic Church teaches that sacramentals are sacred signs that resemble the sacraments. They signify spiritual effects obtained through the Church’s intercession and help prepare people to receive grace. They do not confer grace automatically like the sacraments do; they dispose people to cooperate with grace.

There are three main types of sacramentals: blessings, consecrations and dedications, and exorcisms. After the Second Vatican Council, the Church encouraged adapting their forms to help the faithful participate more fully and allowed new sacramentals when needed. In special cases and at the discretion of a church authority, qualified lay people may administer sacramentals.

Devotional articles like rosary beads, scapulars, medals, and religious images are often called devotional items. Prayers such as the rosary, stations of the cross, litanies, and novenas are popular devotions, sometimes called expressions of popular piety.

Sacramentals are different from the seven sacraments, which were instituted by Christ. Sacramentals were instituted by the Church and can be revised or added to; they do not confer grace by themselves but help people receive grace through faith and the community. For example, baptism’s water effects sin forgiveness, while holy water simply reminds and supports faith.

Different Christian traditions use sacramentals in various ways. Lutherans use palms and crosses; the Episcopal Church lists items like the Anglican rosary, ashes, and palms as sacramentals. Pentecostal teachers note biblical examples of sacramentals such as blessed cloths and holy oil, teaching that God is the source of healing and that clergy can administer these practices and lay hands on the sick.