Additional Sacraments

Additional Sacraments

While the Church traditionally recognizes seven primary sacraments, Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Confession, Holy Unction, Marriage, and Holy Orders, as the central mysteries through which divine grace is imparted for salvation, the sacramental life of the Church is not restricted to these alone.

Alongside these chief mysteries, the Church embraces additional sacramental rites, often referred to as minor mysteries, through which the same grace of God is extended into the full scope of human life. These rites are not secondary in holiness, but differ in function and universality, serving particular states of life or spiritual needs.

Among these is monastic tonsure, frequently described as the “eighth sacrament,” by which a person is sealed into a life of renunciation, obedience, and ascetic struggle. Through tonsure, the monk or nun is mystically set apart for total dedication to Christ, embracing a path of intensified repentance and deification.

The funeral service likewise bears a sacramental character, commending the departed soul into the hands of God and proclaiming the hope of resurrection. Closely connected to this is the memorial service, or Panikhida, through which the Church intercedes for the departed, affirming continued communion in Christ and the efficacy of prayer for those who have fallen asleep.

Other sacramental rites include the Great Blessing of Waters at Theophany, by which creation itself is sanctified and renewed, as well as blessings of homes, objects, fields, and persons. Through these acts, the Church invokes divine protection, healing, and sanctification, affirming that material reality is capable of bearing grace.

Together, these additional mysteries reveal the Church’s holistic understanding of salvation. Grace is not confined to isolated moments, but permeates the entirety of life, calling every circumstance into communion with God. In this way, the Church bears witness to theosis as an all-encompassing reality, in which the whole human person and the whole of creation are drawn into participation in divine life.