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Sacraments of Christian

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 is the sacrament in which the


Holy Spirit comes to us in a special way to join
us more closely to Jesus and his Church and to
seal and strengthen us as Christ's witnesses.
It is the completion of baptismal grace.
Canon 879
---The sacrament of confirmation confers a
character. By it the baptized continue their
path of Christian initiation. They are
enriched with the gift of the Holy Spirit,
and are more closely linked to the Church.
They are made strong and more firmly
obliged by word and deed to witness to
Christ and to spread and defend the faith.
Acts of the Apostle (8:14-17) that after the
Samaritan converts had been baptized by
Philip the deacon, the Apostles “sent unto
them Peter and John who, when they were
come prayed for them, that they might
receive the Holy Ghost, for he was to yet
come upon any of them, but they were only
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus; then
they laid their hands upon them, and they
received the Holy Ghost.”
(19:1-6): St. Paul “came to Ephesus, and
found certain disciples; and he said to
them: Have you received the Holy Ghost
since ye believed? But they said to him:
We have not so much as heard whether
there be a Holy Ghost. And he said: In what
then were you baptized? Who said: In
John’s baptism. Then Paul said: John
baptized the people with the baptism of
penance… Having heard these things, they
were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus. And when Paul had imposed his
hands on them, the Holy Ghost came upon
(2 Corinthians 1:20-21)
“he that confirmeth us with you in
Christ, and hath anointed us, is
god, who also hath sealed us,
and given us the pledge of the
Spirit in our hearts”
Canon 879. The sacrament of confirmation
confers a character. By it the baptised
continue their path of Christian initiation. They
are enriched with the gift of the Holy Spirit,
and more closely linked to the Church. They
are made strong and more firmly obliged by
word and deed to witness to Christ and to
spread and defend the faith.
Canon 880. The sacrament of confirmation is
conferred by anointing with chrism on the
forehead in a laying on of hands, and by the
words prescribed in the approved liturgical
books
Canon 881. It is desirable that the sacrament
of confirmation be celebrated in a church and
indeed during Mass. However, for a just and
reasonable cause it may be celebrated apart
from Mass and in any fitting place.
Canon 882. The ordinary minister of
confirmation is a Bishop. A priest can also
validly confer the sacrament if he has faculty
do so, either from the general law or by way
of a special grant from the competent
authority.
Canon 883. the following have, by law, the
faculty to administer confirmation:
 Within the confines of their jurisdiction,
those who in law are equivalent to be a
diocesan Bishop
 In respect of the person to be confirmed,
the priest who by virtue of his office or by
mandate of the diocesan Bishop baptises an
adult or admits a baptised adult into full
communion with the catholic Church
 In respect of those in danger of death, the
parish priest or indeed any priest
CCC 1285 The reception of the sacrament of
Confirmation is necessary for the completion
of baptismal grace. For "by the sacrament of
Confirmation, [the baptized] are more
perfectly bound to the Church and are
enriched with a special strength of the Holy
Spirit.
CCC 1288 The imposition of hands is rightly
recognized by the Catholic tradition as the
origin of the sacrament of Confirmation
CCC 1289 To signify the gift of the Holy Spirit,
an anointing with perfumed oil (chrism) was
added to the laying on of hands. This
anointing highlights the name "Christian,"
which means "anointed" and derives from that
of Christ himself whom God "anointed with the
Holy Spirit."
Confirmation is
instituted by Christ
our Lord
Confirmation is not a
vain but a true and
proper ceremony
In Confirmation, a
certain and indelible
sign is imprinted in
the soul
Bishops administer
the confirmation
in the teaching of the Roman Catholic
Church, Confirmation, known also as
Chrismation, is one of the seven
sacraments instituted by Christ for the
conferral of sanctifying grace and the
strengthening of the union between
individual souls and God.
by the sacrament of Confirmation, the
baptized are more perfectly bound to the
Church. A sacrament in which the Holy
Ghost is given to those already baptized in
order to make them strong and perfect
Baptism
Confirmation Confirmation in the
Eucharist East

Confirmation in the
West

Baptism Eucharist Confirmation


The Orthodox rite of Chrismation takes
place immediately after baptism. The
priest makes the sign of the cross with the
chrism on the brow, eyes, nostrils, lips,
both ears, breast, hands and feet of the
newly illumined, saying with each
anointing: "The seal of the gift of the Holy
Spirit. Amen." Then the priest will place his
epitrachelion over the newly-illumined and
leads them and their sponsors in a
procession, circling three times around the
Gospel Book, while the choir chants each
time: "As many as have been baptized into
One view of some Anglicans is expressed in
the 16th Century Thirty-Nine Articles is that
confirmation is “not to be counted for
Sacraments of the Gospel”…a term meaning
Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. Today, many
Anglicans, count it as one of seven
sacraments. Anglicans are unique in
Christianity in that only bishops may
administer confirmation. The renewal of the
baptismal vows, which is part of the Anglican
confirmation service, is in no way necessary
to confirmation and can be done more than
once. When confirmation is given early,
In other Protestant churches, confirmation
is often called a "rite" rather than a
sacrament, and is held to be merely
symbolic rather than an effective means of
conferring divine grace. In Protestant
groups where baptism in the early teens is
the norm, confirmation is often not
practiced at all. The Roman Catholic
Church does not recognize the
sacramental validity of Protestant
confirmations, and therefore does confirm
converts from Protestantism.
by studying the Catholic faith

by praying and by witnessing to Christ.

must be in the state of grace and have the


same intentions as the Church.

one should receive the sacrament of penance


any baptized Catholic
who has not been
confirmed may
receive Confirmation
.
the person to be
confirmed should
have reached the
age of discretion
( generally taken at
7)
Any priest can give
Confirmation to a
dying person so that
he or she will have
received the fullness
 the bishop extends his
hands over the person
and anoints the
forehead in the form of
a cross while saying:
"Be sealed with the
Gift of the Holy Spirit."
The person being
confirmed answers
"Amen," meaning, "Let
it be so." The Gift is
the Holy Spirit, who is
the Gift of the Father
and the Son to us.
Eastern Churches call this sacrament
Chrismation, anointing with chrism, or myron
which means "chrism.

In the West, the term Confirmation suggests


that this sacrament both confirms and
strengthens baptismal grace.
sign of anointing
signifies and
imprints: a spiritual
seal.
Oil is a sign of
 abundance and joy;
 healing
Anointing with
sacred chrism in
confirmation is the
sign of consecration
Catechism of the Catholic Church
 1312 - The original minister of Confirmation is
the bishop.
>Each bishop is a successor to the apostles,
upon whom the Holy Spirit descended at
Pentecost—the first Confirmation. The Acts of
the Apostles mentions the apostles imparting
the Holy Spirit to believers by the laying on of
hands (see, Acts 8:15-17 and 19:6).
1313 - In the Latin Rite, the ordinary minister of
Confirmation is the bishop.132 If the need arises,
the bishop may grant the faculty of
administering Confirmation to priests. The
administration of this sacrament by them
demonstrates clearly that its effect is to unite
those who receive it more closely to the
Church, to her apostolic origins, and to her
mission of bearing witness to Christ.
 1314 - If a Christian is
in danger of death, any
priest can give him
Confirmation.134 Indeed
the Church desires that
none of her children,
even the youngest,
should depart this
world without having
been perfected by the
Holy Spirit with the gift
of Christ's fullness.
Canon Law
 884 §1 – administration and grant, §2 –
invitation to other priests
 885 §1 - The diocesan Bishop is bound to
ensure that the sacrament of confirmation is
conferred upon his subjects who duly and
reasonably request it.
§2 A priest who has this faculty must use it
for those in whose favour it was granted.
 886 §1 – own diocese, §2 – another diocese
 887 – priest who has faculty (883 n.3)
 888 – exempt places
 In the Greek Church, confirmation is given by
simple priests without special delegation, and
their ministration is accepted by the Western
Church as valid. They must, however, use
chrism blessed by a patriarch.
 There has been much
discussion among
theologians as to what
constitutes the essential
matter of this sacrament.
the most generally
accepted view is that
the anointing and the
imposition of hands
conjointly are the
matter
the “imposition” is the
laying of hands which
takes place in the act
of anointing
The form is the
words essential for
confirmation.
"Be sealed with
the Gift of the
Holy Spirit."
Canon Law:

 892 - As far as possible the person to be


confirmed is to have a sponsor. The sponsor's
function is to take care that the person
confirmed behaves as a true witness of Christ
and faithfully fulfils the duties inherent in this
sacrament.
 893 - §1 A person who would undertake the
office of sponsor must fulfill the conditions
mentioned in Canon 874 which reads:
1° be appointed by the candidate for baptism, or by
the parents or whoever stands in their place, or
failing these, by the parish priest or the minister;
to be appointed the person must be suitable for
this role and have the intention of fulfilling it;
2° be not less than sixteen years of age, unless a
different age has been stipulated by the diocesan
Bishop, or unless the parish priest or the minister
considers that there is a just reason for an
exception to be made;
3° be a catholic who has been confirmed and has
received the blessed Eucharist, and who lives a
life of faith which befits the role to be undertaken;
4° not labor under a
canonical penalty,
whether imposed or
declared;
5° not be either the father
or the mother of the
person to be
baptized.

 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)

Can the dying receive Confirmation?


- Any priest can give Confirmation to a dying
person so that he or she will have received
the fullness of Christ. (1307, 1314)

Is another saint's name taken in Confirmation?


- A Catholic may take another saint's name in
Confirmation if he or she wishes.
Group 2:
Gascon, Gato, Gonzales, Milanes

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