Sacramentals

Sacramentals are sacred signs, objects, and practices established by the Christian Church to prepare believers for grace and to sanctify various aspects of daily life. They are distinct from the seven sacraments, which are believed to confer grace in their own right; sacramentals do not themselves confer grace but dispose the faithful to receive it and keep present in memory the truths of faith.

Examples commonly cited include holy water, blessed oils, the crucifix, rosaries, medals and scapulars, and images. They also encompass liturgical actions such as blessings, prayers of intercession, processions, and other rites that accompany daily life, as well as the use of blessed places or objects like churches, altars, and reliquaries. In Catholic practice, the Church may bless persons, objects, and occasions to set them apart for sacred use or to solicit God’s help.

The purpose of sacramentals is to sanctify daily life, deepen devotion, and accompany the sacraments. They are believed to confer a certain grace through the Church’s blessing and the believer’s faith and disposition, though this grace is subordinate to the grace granted by the sacraments themselves. Proper use relies on reverence, correct doctrine, and interior faith; superstition and misuse are cautioned against.

Although most closely associated with the Catholic Church, concepts similar to sacramentals exist in some other Christian traditions, sometimes under different terms. In general, sacramentals aim to foster devotion, virtue, and awareness of the divine in ordinary circumstances.