Chapter XIII: Sacraments of Marriage, Holy Orders, and Extreme Unction

 



Helen Receives the Sacrament of Matrimony when she marries a Baptized Catholic Man Witnessed by a Priest

           Whether Helen marries a Catholic or not, and whether a priest is present or not, it will be her, and her husband, who make the Sacrament of Marriage valid or not.[1]  At the same time though, I noticed that Chick does not produce any attack on the Sacrament of Marriage.  I assume the reason for doing so is that the ritual of marriage is practiced in his Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church, even though they do not consider the ritual to be a sacrament.

Helen Will Miss the Sacrament of Holy Orders, Because It Applies Only to Men

            On this point, I noticed that among the ordained clergy/priesthood, Chick did not mention the ordinate of the deacon.  I guess because he did not want his readers to know that the Catholic Church has such a position, since previously he mentioned deacons to be one of the offices to “properly run a church.”

            In any case, Chick does not attack Helen being unable to receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Again, the reason most likely for why is because the Catholic Church, just like his Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Church, takes a conservative position regarding the ordination of women (First Timothy 2:12).

At the Point of Death, Helen Receives the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick

            While the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is often received before death, why it is sometimes called “Last Rites,” it can be received prior to this point.  The sacrament can be celebrated for those who are frail, experiencing old age, having to undergo a serious operation, etc…[2]

Helen dies…Where does she go?  To Purgatory, of course!

            Without getting “too theologically specific,” Helen would only go to Purgatory, if she has some type of venial sin—or an attachment to a sin, which has been forgiven—upon her soul, which relates to the final state of “theosis”—becoming “God like” in Christ.[3]

Poor Helen…She was Betrayed

            If Helen was truly “betrayed” one would think that God, as an “all loving being”—one of the traditional characteristics of the Abrahamic God—would understand that and not “condemn Helen.”  Just like one would think that an all loving God would not condemn a person who takes Chick tracts/comics literally, which are full of multiple errors—sometimes demonstrable—and causes a person to live in an “alternate reality.”

If She Had Believed in the Bible, She Could Have been Saved

            As a Catholic, Helen believed in the Bible.  It is the Church’s “sacred collection of texts.”  She may not have believed in the Bible in the same manner that Protestants do, but she certainly believed in it.[4]

Salvation Only Comes Through Faith in Christ Alone, Not Sacraments (Ephesians 2:8-10)

            The sacraments are recognized to be “visible signs of invisible grace,” or “visible signs of the invisible God,” and were instituted by Jesus Christ—who, according to traditional Christian theology, is “God incarnate.” While Chick may disagree on what is a sacrament,[5] or even if sacraments have any “spiritual power,” the belief that Christ is present in them is certainly there.

            At the same time, a part of me suspects that Chick is trying to tackle the issue of “faith and works” again, with his reference to the Letter to the Ephesians.  I referenced the Letter to the Ephesians earlier, but in this portion of the tract/comic, Chick uses verse ten, which he did not use earlier.  I find his use of that verse almost amusing, and to show why, I am going to quote that verse specifically from the KJV: “For we are his [God] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

            If one is unable to tell, Ephesians 2:10 actually defends the practice of good works.  While Chick may have been able to read, it certainly makes one wonder how well he could “comprehend.”

 


 

[1]This is a point of view where the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church disagree on the Sacrament of Marriage.  The Catholic side holds that the couple makes the sacrament.  The Orthodox side holds that Jesus Christ makes the sacrament.

 

[2]Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections: 1514-15; James 5:14-15. 

 

[3]Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections: 1030 and 1472.

 

[4]And, as mentioned earlier, Protestants do not have a universal agreement on the Bible.  If they did, there would not be multiple Protestant churches.

 

[5]Protestants generally recognize two sacraments:  Baptism and the Eucharist/Holy Communion.

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