Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Initiation
CONFIRMATION
EUCHARIST
The act of To support or
confirming establish the
Something that certainty
confirms To verify
Verification To make firmer
A Christian rite To strengthen
admitting a
baptized
person to full
is a rite of initiation in many Christian
Churches, normally in the form of laying on of
hands and/or anointing for the purpose of
bestowing the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Confirmation in the
West
893 - §2 It is
desirable that the
sponsor chosen be
the one who
undertook this role at
baptism.
Canon Law
894 – to establish
that confirmation
has been
conferred, the
provisions of
Canon 876 are to
be observed.
895 – recording and notification, in
accordance with 535 §2: which reads “In the
register of baptisms, a note is to be made of
confirmation and of matters pertaining to the
canonical status of the faithful by reason of
marriage, without prejudice to the provision
of can. 1133, and by reason of adoption, the
reception of sacred order, the making of
perpetual profession in a religious institute,
or a change of rite. These annotations are
always to be reproduced on a baptismal
certificate.”
896 – parish priest not present
an increase of sanctifying grace which makes the
recipient a "perfect Christian"; (CCC 1305)
a special sacramental grace consisting in the seven
gifts of the Holy Ghost and notably in the strength and
courage to confess boldly the name of Christ; (CCC
1302 & 1303)
an indelible character by reason of which the
sacrament cannot be received again by the same
person. (CCC 1304)
A further consequence is the spiritual relationship
which the person confirming and the sponsor contract
with the recipient and with the recipient's parents. This
relationship constitutes a diriment impediment to
marriage. It does not arise between the minister of the
sacrament and the sponsor nor between the sponsors
But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of
Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him:
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
a spirit of counsel and of strength,
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the
Lord,
and his delight shall be the fear of the
LORD.
All powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ,
by water and the Holy Spirit
you freed your sons and daughters from sin
And gave them new life.
Send your Holy Spirit upon them
to be their helper and guide.
Give them the spirit of [1] wisdom and [2]
understanding,
the spirit of [3] right judgment and [4]
courage,
the spirit of [5] knowledge and [6] reverence.
Fill them with the spirit of [7] wonder and awe
This prayer names the "seven gifts" of the
Holy Spirit. The prophet Isaiah taught that
these seven gifts would be the sign of the
Messiah, the one anointed by the Holy Spirit.
The word Messiah (Christos in Greek) means
"anointed." Jesus is the Christ, the anointed
one, the one filled with the Holy Spirit. At
Confirmation we are anointed with that same
Holy Spirit.
At the actual anointing during Confirmation
we hear the words: "Be sealed with the gift of
the Holy Spirit." We are sealed with the gift of,
that is, the gift which is the Holy Spirit.
Confirmation is not absolutely necessary for
salvation, but it could be seriously wrong to
neglect this sacrament because it deepens
baptismal grace and brings an abundant
outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Baptism,
Confirmation and Holy Eucharist so
complement one another that all three are
required for full Christian initiation.
Confirmation is also important for the growth
of the Church. (1306)
CCC 1306 - Every baptized person not yet
confirmed can and should receive the
sacrament of Confirmation.123 Since Baptism,
Confirmation, and Eucharist form a unity, it
follows that "the faithful are obliged to receive
this sacrament at the appropriate time,"124 for
without Confirmation and Eucharist, Baptism
is certainly valid and efficacious, but Christian
initiation remains incomplete.
Regarding the obligation of receiving the
sacrament, it is admitted that confirmation is
not necessary as an indispensable means of
salvation (necessitate medii).
Its reception is obligatory (necessitate
præcepti) "for all those who are able to
understand and fulfill the Commandments of
God and of the Church.
As to the gravity of the obligation, opinions
differ, some theologians holding that an
unconfirmed person would commit mortal sin
if he refused the sacrament, others that the
sin would be at most venial unless the refusal
What are the duties of confirmed Catholics?
- Confirmed Catholics are to keep on learning
about their faith. They are to live it, love it,
stand up for it and share it as Christ's
witnesses. (1303)