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ON THE SACRAMENTALITY OF THE CHURCH IN GENERAL AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS (Art. 4)
- We accept and administer the sacraments of Baptism,
of Confirmation, of the Eucharist, of Reconciliation, of the Extreme Unction, of Holy Orders, and of Marriage.
- We believe, consonant with the tradition of the
undivided Church, that the validity and efficacy of each of the sacraments participates in and expresses the sacramentality
of the whole Church.
- Given that the Local Church
is where this sacramentality is expressed, the sacraments find their true significance and efficacy solely when they are administered
within and for the edification of the Local Church.
- Each Ecclesiastical
Province is able to determine its own ritual for the celebration of the
sacraments in accordance with the situation and cultural context in which it lives, provided that:
- All the elements believed to be essential for the
valid celebration of the same are maintained in their entirety, in accord with the Catholic tradition, Orthodox as well as
Latin.
- The introduction of ambiguous elements is carefully
avoided in order not to fall into any form of syncretism and to maintain the Christian tradition in its purity.
- The following are recognized as ministers who may
validly administer the sacraments:
- For the Sacrament of Baptism: the bishop, the priest
and the deacon are the ordinary ministers; the extraordinary minister, in case of grave necessity, is any baptized Christian.
- For the Sacrament of Confirmation: ordinarily the minister is the bishop. By exception, it can
be delegated to a priest so that it may be carried out.
- For the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance:
only the bishop and priest are the authorized and competent ministers.
- For the Sacrament of the Eucharist: only the bishop
and priest are the authorized and competent ministers.
- For the Sacrament of Extreme Unction: only the bishop
and priest are the authorized and competent ministers.
- For the Sacrament of Ordination: only the bishop
is the authorized and competent minister.
- For the Sacrament of Marriage: the ministers are the bride and the bridegroom who publicly express their consent. In order to express
the consent validly, there is the need for qualified witnesses. Official witnesses are the bishop, the priest and the deacon.
In extraordinary cases, when the presence of an ordained minister is impossible for a prolonged period of time, two faithful
members of the Church can be witnesses so that matrimonial consent may be validly expressed.
ON THE EUCHARIST
(Art. 5)
- We acknowledge the Eucharist to be the center and
culmination of the Church’s worship.
- In celebrating it, the local church becomes actual
and concrete as the sacramental presence of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
- We steadfastly believe that by the action of the
Holy Spirit within the Eucharistic celebration, presided by the bishop or a priest, the bread and wine are, through the Anamnesis
and the Epiclesis, sacramentally transformed, in reality and in efficacy, into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
- We confess that although Christ was offered once
for all time as the expiatory sacrifice for all humanity on the altar of the cross, nevertheless the Eucharist is a true sacrifice
because in it the one sacrifice of Christ not only is commemorated but also is actualized and, by the action of the Holy Spirit,
the Kingdom of God is made present, and the new creation of love and communion continues to manifest itself in the history
and the life of our communities.
ON THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS (Art. 6)
- The sacrament of Holy Orders has three levels: as deacon, as priest, and as bishop.
- It is indispensable that one be ordained on the
lower level in order to be able validly to receive a higher level of the sacrament of Holy Orders.
- Consonant with the ancient tradition of the undivided
Church, WCCAC acknowledges that only Christians of the male gender can be validly ordained as deacons, priests and bishops.
ON THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE (Art. 8)
- WCCAC acknowledges that the sacrament of marriage
is the public and solemn covenant that is brought about between a man and a woman.
- The matrimonial covenant has the purpose of establishing
the exclusive and permanent communion of life for the spouses, with the view of forming a family.
- The sacrament of marriage takes place
through the mutual consent of the couple, lawfully manifested and confirmed by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit.
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