Catholic Church

====Eucharist====
{{Main|Eucharist in the Catholic Church}}
[[File:BentoXVI-51-11052007 (frag).jpg|thumb|[[Pope Benedict XVI]] celebrates the Eucharist at the [[canonization]] of [[Frei Galvão]] in São Paulo, Brazil on 11 May 2007.]]
For Catholics, the Eucharist is the sacrament which completes Christian initiation. It is described as "the source and summit of the Christian life".<ref>{{Cite CCC|2.1|1322–1324}}</ref> The ceremony in which a Catholic first receives the Eucharist is known as [[First Communion]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=601|title=Catholic Activity: Preparing for First Holy Communion|publisher=Catholicculture.org|access-date=25 March 2015}}</ref>

The Eucharistic celebration, also called the [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] or [[Divine liturgy]], includes prayers and scriptural readings, as well as an offering of bread and wine, which are brought to the [[altar]] and [[consecration#Eucharist|consecrated]] by the priest to become the body and the blood of Jesus Christ, a change called [[transubstantiation]].<ref>{{Cite Catholic Encyclopedia|wstitle=The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist|first=Joseph|last=Pohle}}</ref><ref group="note">For an outline of the Eucharistic liturgy in the Roman Rite, see the [[#Roman Rite of Mass|side bar]] in the "Worship and liturgy".</ref> The [[words of consecration]] reflect the words spoken by Jesus during the [[Last Supper]], where Christ offered his body and blood to his Apostles the night before his crucifixion. The sacrament re-presents (makes present) the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross,<ref>{{Cite CCC|2.1|1365–1372|quote=Because it is the memorial of Christ's Passover, the Eucharist is also a sacrifice, thus, in the ritual text of the Mass, the priest asks of the congregation present, 'Pray, brothers and sisters, that this my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father.' The sacrificial character of the Eucharist is manifested in the very words of institution: 'This is my body which is given for you' and 'This cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood.' [Lk 22:19–20] In the Eucharist, Christ gives us the very body which he gave up for us on the cross, the very blood which he 'poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.' [Mt 26:28]}}</ref> and perpetuates it. Christ's death and resurrection give grace through the sacrament that unites the faithful with Christ and one another, remits venial sin, and aids against committing moral sin (though mortal sin itself is forgiven through the sacrament of penance).<ref name="ccc1392">{{Cite CCC|2.1|1392–1395}}</ref>

[[File:Convento de San Francisco - Ciudad de México - Creyente.jpg|left|thumb|upright|A Catholic believer prays in a church in Mexico.]]