Catholic Teaching on Confirmation

Catholic Church Teaching: The Sacrament of Confirmation

The little numbers reference the articles in the Catechism of the Catholic Church which are being summarized here. The language is fairly technical, but it is the "translated" to the language of young children when preparing them for Confirmation.

Read the original text of the Catechism >>

How Does the Holy Spirit Strengthen Us?

The Spirit of the Lord

1285	Let us begin by saying clearly here that confirmation is intimately connected to both baptism and Eucharist. They are all sacraments of initiation, adding to and completing each other. The reception of confirmation is required in order for initiation to be complete.

1286

We must also begin by saying once again that God who is Divine Love
revealed this Love to us completely and fully in Christ.

At his own baptism, the Spirit descended on Jesus fulfilling what Isaiah had said in chapter 11, verse 2:
“The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and awe in the face of God.”
This is the Spirit of Divine Love, the Holy Spirit of God.
Jesus was conceived in this Spirit of Love, his entire mission was rooted in Love, in complete communion with Divine Love, one God, forever and ever.

1287

When you read Acts of the Apostles,
it is clear that this Spirit of Love deeply touched the apostles.
It filled their hearts with the fire of love, and gave them courage, hope, and strength.
And most strikingly, through this same Spirit, Peter and the others
found the words to communicate the wonders of God and through those words,
the Spirit touched other hearts so still more were added to their number.
And on and on and on…down through the centuries right up to this present moment,
wherever you are, the Spirit is with you.

1288	From the earliest years of the church, the apostles laid hands on the newly baptized conferring on them the gift of the Spirit, completing the grace of baptism.

1289

But also very early, an anointing with holy oil also called “chrism”
was added to the laying on of hands.
In fact, the name “Christian” means, literally, “one who is anointed.”
The anointing signifies the gift of the Spirit of Love, who brings comfort, courage, and counsel to us.
Every since those early years, this ceremony of anointing has continued
in both the Eastern rites and the Latin rite.
The Eastern rites do not refer to this sacrament as confirmation but rather as “chrismation.”
The Latin rite calls it confirmation which suggests that baptism is confirmed or ratified
and that baptismal grace is thereby strengthened.

Two traditions: East and West

1290

In the early years of the church, baptism and confirmation were celebrated as one sacrament.
Most of the time, it was celebrated one time each year, at the Easter Vigil.
But soon infant baptisms became more common and were celebrated throughout the year.
Soon more and more rural parishes were added and dioceses grew in size.
Bishops were no longer present for every baptism, as had been the custom.
All of this led, in the Latin rite, to the separation of baptism and confirmation.
In the Eastern rites, they remain united with the priest presiding at confirmation as well as at baptism,
using oils blessed by the bishop.

Confirmation roots us more firmly in Christ

1291

Beyond all this, a “double anointing” became the custom in the church at Rome
and this also facilitated the separation of the two sacraments.
The first anointing was done by the priest as the newly baptized came out of the water.
The second was done by the bishop.
So today in our rite of baptism the priest still performs that first anointing,
signifying the entrance of the newly baptized
into the priestly, prophetic, and royal roles of Christ in the church.
But when an adult is being baptized, there is only one anointing
and it is the sacrament of confirmation, with the baptizing priest presiding.

1292	The Eastern practice of uniting the two emphasizes the unity of Christian initiation. The Latin practice of divining them emphasizes the connection with the bishop.

Sacred Oil

1293

We use oil to anoint. Anointing with oil is ancient and rich in meaning.
Oil is a sign of abundance and joy, according to the beautiful words of Psalm 23:
“You prepare a table before me…you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows!”
Oil cleanses and we bathe with it. It limbers and we use it to soothe our muscles. It is a sign of healing.
It soothes our bruises and wounds. It makes radiant with beauty, health, and strength.

1294

In the sacramental life of the church oil carries all these meanings.
We anoint catechumens to strengthen them and give them wisdom.
We anoint the sick, expressing healing and comfort.
We anoint in baptism as a sign of the Spirit of Love which is the way to holiness.
Likewise, anointing in confirmation gives the one confirmed a more
complete share in the mission of Christ and the church.

1295	Those confirmed are marked in this sacrament, as at baptism, with the seal of the Holy Spirit and the sign of faith.

1296	Remember that in the sacraments, it is Christ who acts on our behalf. In confirmation, Christ puts his seal upon our hearts, claiming us, as it were, and making us his own. And we, for our part, gladly receive the Spirit of Love.

How We Celebrate

1297

The blessing of this sacred oil, then, is really the first action of this sacrament,
even though it occurs at another time, in another liturgy.
Bishops consecrate or bless these oils on Holy Thursday at the Chrism Mass which take place in every diocese. In some dioceses, this Chrism Mass takes place earlier in Holy Week.

1298

In the Latin rite, or when confirmation is separated from baptism,
the liturgy of confirmation begins with the renewal of baptismal promises and a profession of faith.
When adults are baptized, they immediately receive confirmation and Eucharist.
This usually occurs at the Easter Vigil and the presider is usually a priest.
But for young people, Eucharist often precedes confirmation
and the celebration of confirmation normally occurs at a time of year
that is convenient to both the local parish and the bishop.
In some dioceses, because of the great numbers, bishops may designate a local pastor to preside.

1299	When the bishop is present, he extends his hands over the whole group of those to be confirmed and he prays for the Holy Spirit to be upon them.

The essential rite of confirmation is anointing with oil.

1300	The essential rite of the sacrament follows. The bishop anoints each on the forehead with chrism, saying as he does: “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” In the Eastern rites, several parts of the body are anointed: forehead, eyes, nose, and ears, lips, breast, back, hands, and feet.

1301	The rite concludes with the sign of peace, which signifies the union of the bishop with all the faithful.

1302	God is Divine Love, revealed to us fully in Christ, the Son of this Love. The Spirit of Love is poured fully into our hearts, awakening in us the seeds of eternity and continuing the miracle of Pentecost in our own day and age.

1303

Hence, we can say that confirmation roots us more deeply in love, unites us more closely to Christ,
increases in us the gifts of the Spirit, and binds us more tightly to the church.
Because of confirmation we receive a special strength to live our faith more fully,
to witness to what we believe, and never to be ashamed of dying and rising in Jesus Christ.

1304-1305

Like baptism, confirmation is received only once because it marks us permanently in faith.

Who is Confirmed?

1306	Everyone who is baptized but not yet confirmed should receive this sacrament. Without it, baptism is still valid and we are members of the church but initiation is incomplete.

1307	In the Latin rite, young adulthood is the normal age to receive this sacrament but children in danger of death may also be confirmed.

1308	This sacrament is not meant to mark entry into “adult faith.” Spiritual maturity is not linked to chronological age. Indeed, living the mystery of our faith: dying in Christ, rising to new life, and living daily life in the Spirit begins at baptism. Many young people achieve this maturity.

1309

In the Latin rite where confirmation and baptism are separated by several years,
preparation for confirmation is important.
It should focus on the ever deeper “conversion” or the turning of our hearts to Christ.
It should prepare the Christian to work in the mission of the church and awaken a sense of belonging.

1310

In the final period of preparation those to be confirmed should undergo
a sort of retreat and cleansing of the heart.
They should be aware that God who is Divine Love is communicating
God’s own self to them and revealing to them the divine heart.
In a word, they should be aware that they are “living in grace.”
Preparation might include sacramental reconciliation, intense prayer, and personal reflection.

1311

Finally, those preparing for confirmation should seek the help of a companion or sponsor,
if possible, a baptismal godparent.
In the end, for those in the Latin rite,
preparation should result in persons who are ready to receive this sacrament freely once they are old enough.
They should be living in grace, desire the sacrament, and be ready to assume the role of disciple.

Who Presides?

1312

In the Eastern rites, the priest presides at this sacrament,
using sacred chrism blessed by the bishop, expressing the unity of the church.
In the Latin rite, the same is true when confirmation is received by adults
who are being baptized at the same time,
or who are being received into full communion from another Christian church
which does not have valid confirmation.

1313	In danger of death, priests, of course, may confirm at any time.

1314	In all other settings, the bishop presides at confirmation unless, as we said above, he designates a local pastor to preside.