BAPTISM, CONFIRMATION, MATRIMONY, AND EXTREME UNCTION
By the thirteenth century seven sacraments were generally
recognized. Four of these marked critical stages in human life, from the cradle
to the grave. Baptism cleansed the child from the taint of original sin and
admitted him into the Christian community. Confirmation gave him full Church
fellowship. Matrimony united husband and wife in holy bonds which might never
be broken. Extreme Unction, the anointing with oil of one mortally ill,
purified the soul and endowed it with strength to meet death.
PENANCE
Penance held an especially important place in the
sacramental system. At least once a year the Christian must confess his sins to
a priest. If he seemed to be truly repentant, the priest pronounced the solemn
words of absolution and then required him to accept some punishment, which
varied according to the nature of the offense. There was a regular code of
penalties for such sins as drunkenness, avarice, perjury, murder, and heresy.
Penances often consisted in fasting, reciting prayers, abstaining from one's
ordinary amusements, or beating oneself with bundles of rods. A man who had
sinned grievously might be ordered to engage in charitable work, to make a
contribution in money for the support of the Church, or to go on a pilgrimage
to a sacred shrine. The more distant and difficult a pilgrimage, the more
meritorious it was, especially if it led to some very holy place, such as Rome
or Jerusalem. People might also become monks in order to atone for evil-doing.
This system of penitential punishment referred only to the earthly life; it was
not supposed to cleanse the soul for eternity.
