Seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church have to be administered by a priest or bishop. Baptism is performed when a child is a few days old. It is dressed in white, signifying purity, the head is washed with water and anointed with holy oil symbolising the washing away of original sin and the sign of the cross is made on the forehead. Confirmation is performed when a child is seven among Catholics and fifteen among Protestants. He or she is taught the main tenets and obligations of the Christian faith for several months by the priest. After this instruction he is ready to be confirmed by the bishop.

Penance, which is a rite of the Roman Catholic Church, is the act of confessing one's sins to the priest, who in the name of God forgives the offender whom he reinstates in the eyes of God. He prescribes a penance also which now usually takes the form of saying various prayers. Marriage rites have to be solemnised by a priest in church. Ordination is the conferment of holy orders, consecration of an ordinee as a priest. Extreme unction is administered by a priest when a sick person is dying by anointing his body and giving him Holy Communion.