A solemn Christian ritual believed to be a means of grace, a sign of faith, or obedience to Christ's commands. The Anglican catechism defines a sacrament as "an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. . . Ordained by Christ himself. " In the Catholic and Orthodox churches, there are seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, the eucharist (communion), penance, extreme untion, ordination and marriage. In Protestant churches, only baptism and the eucharist are regarded as sacraments.