The question of whether we need the sacraments is an interesting one. I was brought up protestant and converted to Catholicism around four years ago. This topic is a hotly debated item among family members who are not Catholic.
This blog will consist of a conversation with Pieper and Ratzinger on the need for the sacraments. Can one explain why the sacraments are unique, as Pieper claims? My answer would be yes. The sacraments are a necessary part of Christian life. Getting this message across to all Christians might be difficult, but not without merit. The sacraments are where humans’ historical presence intersects with the divine. My protestant family members would say no. You only need the bible and prayer. Based on these articles, I will support my claim in this blog as I understand it. Both authors focus on where and how one enters into communion with God, which needs the sacraments as they were revealed to us over time.
Joseph Ratzinger brings a historical perspective that bases most of his argument on the sacraments being genuine encounters with Christ. “To receive the Christian sacraments means to enter into the history proceeding from Christ with the belief that this is the saving history that opens up to man the historical context that truly allows him to live and leads him into his true uniqueness, into unity with God that is his eternal future.” (163)1 In like fashion, Pieper also believes in the direct encounter between God and man through the real presence of God, which has a profound transformative effect on the human being’s spiritual journey through this experience. Ratzinger does not see the sacraments as symbolic or a remembrance but as how Christians participate in a union with the risen Christ. The human experience is horizontal, while the sacraments provide the “vertical dimension of human existence” (164)2
Ratzinger leans more on traditions in the Catholic Church’s theology. This tradition sees the sacraments as a mystery that allows humans real spiritual experiences. These sacraments are instruments by which God uses grace in union with us. These are not lowly symbols, as some would have us believe, but a reality that believers experience. Pieper similarly understands the sacraments in this way. Each sacred act imparts a meaningful grace in direct response to the human interaction with God through the sacrament, which is transformative on one’s spiritual journey. Pieper quotes the Vatican Council, stating, “The liturgy itself is a sacred action surpassing all others.” (46)3. “The summit of all Church activity and the fount from which all her powers flow” (46)4
The bonds of the Christian community are strengthened through the sacraments, according to Ratzinger, with a critical emphasis on the Eucharist. (167)5 Humans do not experience the sacraments alone but with the Body of Christ. Ratzinger emphasizes we are a communion of followers of Christ. Pieper also stresses the communal part of the sacraments. Participating in such rituals is a public matter that strengthens the Church. This creates a sense of belonging for church members and the larger Christian body.
Again, Ratzinger sees the sacraments historically6 (traditions), which ties modern Christians with early Christians. Christ established these rituals and, through apostolic succession, bonded us together across the ages. Every Catholic is connected through this meaningful link to the origins of Christianity. Pieper also agrees with Ratzinger on this point and allows modern Christians to be rooted in the Christian faith through this narrative.7 Sacred places, acts, and times have been meaningful throughout history and remain so regardless of desacralization that is prominent today.
It is important to note that through the sacraments, one enters the Church and gets one’s Christian identity. The sacrament of baptism (160) marks a person as a member of Jesus’ Church, Ratzinger notes, by letting “the waters of death pass over him so as to enter into a new beginning that started with Christ.”8 This person has been cleansed of sin as they embark on their new journey. Pieperr comes at it from a salvation perspective where God has a particular mission in sacred places where sacred people take sacred actions through the sacraments that are not ordinary on behalf of the community of believers. This can be symbolic, a physical partaking, or a spiritual action in a communal setting. This has a quality of faith to it, which brings transformative meaning to our reality.
The big question one needs to understand is not if the sacraments are required but how to communicate this to non-Catholics. This can be extremely difficult. However, Pieper takes the better path, if only slightly, in my opinion. Defining what is sacred9 (14-15) (26) and how the sacraments tie into our historical experience can win the day. The protestants made a colossal mistake throwing out the sacraments whereby they claimed they were merely performative or a remembrance in most cases. The rejection that man can be purely spiritual in his relation to God goes against the purpose of Jesus’ coming to Earth. Humans are not ghosts as in C.S. Lewis’s “The Great Divorce” and, as such, must experience Christ physically and spiritually. Pieper’s explanation of the Eucharist being shared in a human way is critical. God determines the selection and how he will be present for us. Humans are entirely dependent on Him for the time and place. Ratzinger adds to the validity with his observation that The Eucharist links us to the historical life of Christ, which manifests itself in “Bread” (167)10 for us.
I denote slight differences between Ratzinger and Pieper. These could only be seen as nuanced emphasis rather than competing views. Ratzinger focuses on the sacraments as a historical part of the liturgy. In slight contrast, Pieper focuses more on the ritual aspect (what is sacred and what is not) and its transformative symbolic power in our lives. Another slight example might be Ratzinger’s focus on the apostolic nature of the sacraments, whereas Pieper seems to emphasize how sacred places, actions, and people connect us to the sacraments.
In summary, while both theologians contribute significantly to the theological conversation on the sacraments, they enrich the broader theological understanding. Christians of all stripes may resonate with various aspects of each theologian’s perspective, shaping one’s understanding and experience of the sacraments in one’s Christian journey. As understood by Ratzinger and Pieper, the sacraments continue to be an integral part of Christian life, enriching the encounters with the divine, conveying God’s grace, and contributing to forming Christian identity within the context of the Church’s tradition.
The sacraments are one of the hardest things to understand, and this blog does not claim to be an expert in any way. One must read the material often to understand the writer’s intent. From researching both authors, I found they both are credible sources with many fantastic liturgical observations. Ratzinger, who became a Pope, stands the test of time as a prolific writer and theologian with whom I am most familiar. See you at Mass.
- Ratzinger, Joseph, Theology of the Liturgy (163) ↩︎
- Ratzinger, Joseph, Theology of the Liturgy (164) ↩︎
- Pieper, Josef, In Search of the Sacred (46) ↩︎
- Pieper, Josef, In Search of the Sacred (46) ↩︎
- Ratzinger, Joseph, Theology of the Liturgy (167) ↩︎
- Ratzinger, Joseph, Theology of the Liturgy (163) “For indeed, man is historically determined, from the ground up; it is precisely his essence to be historical.” ↩︎
- Pieper, Josef, In Search of the Sacred (34-35) “First: the first Christian communities never saw themselves as exclusive clubs; anybody was welcome to join.” ↩︎
- Ratzinger, Joseph, Theology of the Liturgy (160) ↩︎
- Pieper, Josef, In Search of the Sacred (14-15)(26) ↩︎
- Ratzinger, Joseph, Theology of the Liturgy (167) ↩︎