Some Christian denominations believe that a sacramental character, an indelible spiritual mark (the meaning of the word character in Latin), is imprinted by any of three of the seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, and holy orders.
The doctrine was expressed by Augustine of Hippo in his religious controversies. The doctrine of the sacramental character was dogmatically defined by the Catholic Church at the 16th century Council of Trent.[1]
This teaching is expressed as follows in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992):[2]
The three sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer, in addition to grace, a sacramental character or seal by which the Christian shares in Christ's priesthood and is made a member of the Church according to different states and functions. This configuration to Christ and to the Church, brought about by the Spirit, is indelible; it remains for ever in the Christian as a positive disposition for grace, a promise and guarantee of divine protection, and as a vocation to divine worship and to the service of the Church. Therefore these sacraments can never be repeated.
If it is doubtful whether a person has received the sacrament, the sacrament may be administered conditionally (using words such as for conditional baptism: "If thou art not baptized, I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"). However, such an administration is only valid and effective to the extent that no valid administration of the same sacrament has already occurred, as it does not in any event constitute an effective repetition of a valid previous administration of that sacrament.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, explains as follows the significance of the image of "seal", used as an alternative to that of "character":[3]
'The Father has set his seal' on Christ (John 6:27) and also seals us in him (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:23, 4:30). Because this seal indicates the indelible effect of the anointing with the Holy Spirit in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, the image of the seal (σφραγίς) has been used in some theological traditions to express the indelible 'character' imprinted by these three unrepeatable sacraments.
Lutheran theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg stated that "in terms of the thought of promise and sending that constantly govern the ordained and claim them for Christ's service, we no longer need to oppose [indelible character] on the Lutheran side, since this point of view finds expression in the Lutheran churches, too. Here there is no repetition of ordination".[4]
The Book of Common Prayer of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America teaches that "The bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble".[5]
In Eastern Orthodoxy, opinion on this concept vary.
Rodopoulos discusses the theory of what he calls the "ineradicable nature of priesthood", which is the theory that "ordination is ineradicable, and should a defrocked priest be restored, his ordination is not repeated". Rodopoulos states that "[t]he [Eastern] Orthodox Church has not declared officially on this matter. The Church of Rome established this doctrine at the Council of Trent (1545 – 1563)". Rodopoulos adds: "Only some [Eastern] Orthodox theologians, influenced by Roman Catholic teachings, have accepted this theory. The long-standing practice of the Church, however, as well as its teaching on grace, reject the theory of the ineradicable nature of the priesthood. Priest who are defrocked return to the ranks of the laity or monks".[6]
Calivas believe that "[t]he character of ordination is indelible".[7]
Scouteris considers that "no evidence concerning the indelible mark theory can be found in Patristic teaching. On the contrary, the canonical data leave no doubt that a defrocked priest or bishop, after the decision of the Church to take back his priesthood, returns to the rank of the laity. The anathematized or the defrocked are in no way considered to maintain their priesthood".[8]