SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

1626. The sacrament of Confirmation is described by Vatican II in terms of its two essential
characteristics: closer union with the Church, and strengthening and empowerment by the Holy Spirit to
actively spread the Faith.

By the sacrament of Confirmation, the faithful are more perfectly bound to the Church and are endowed
with the special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses to Christ, more strictly
obliged to spread the faith by word and deed (LG 11; cf. CCC 1285).

The Council also decreed that “the rite of Confirmation is to be revised so that its intimate connection
with the whole of Christian initiation may more clearly appear. For this reason the renewal of Baptismal
promises should fittingly precede its reception” (SC 71). PCP II decreed that “a diocesan program for the
sacrament of Confirmation should be drawn up, preferably as a part of the regular syllabus in Catholic
schools, public schools, and in catechetical instruction for adolescents” (PCP II Decrees, Art. 9,2).

1627. Originally what we call Confirmation was part of the developed Baptismal rite. Yet, there is a
certain scriptural basis in distinguishing the bestowal of the Holy Spirit through water-Baptism and by
the “laying on of hands.”

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. As Paul laid his hands on them,
the Holy Spirit came on them, they began to speak in tongues and to utter prophecies (Acts 19:5f; cf.
8:14-17).

Through the centuries, because the increasing number and size of dioceses, parishes, and infant
baptisms made it a practical impossibility for the Bishop to confirm all, the anointing and laying on of
hands were separated from water-Baptism to form a separate sacrament. In the East it is called
“Chrismation,” meaning “anointing with chrism.”

1628.Thus Paul VI described the origin of Confirmation in the revised rite as follows:

The Apostles, in order to accomplish the will of Christ, passed on to the neophytes, by the laying on of
hands, the gift of the Spirit which brings to completion the grace of Baptism . . . . This laying on of hands
is rightly considered by Catholic Tradition as the origin of the sacrament of Confirmation which
perpetuates in a way the grace of Pentecost in the Church (DCN; cf. CCC 1288).

1629. The sacrament of Confirmation is conferred by “anointing with holy Chrism on the forehead, done
while imposing the hands and by these words: ‘N., be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit’ ” (CCC
1300). In the Old Testament, anointing signified healing, purification and strengthening, but most of all
empowerment. Aaron was anointed high priest (cf. Lv 8:12); Samuel anointed Saul and David as king (cf.
1 Sam 10:1;16:13f), and Isaiah was anointed prophet (cf. Is 61:1). Eventually, however, the Spirit was to
be communicated to the whole messianic people (cf. Ez 36:25-27; Jl 3:1-2; CCC 1286-87). In the New
Testament, Christ is the “Anointed One,” perfectly fulfilling through the power of the Holy Spirit the
triple role of Prophet, Priest and Servant-King. Hence, through Confirmation, Christians share more fully
in Christ’s prophetic, kingly and priestly roles. Through the laying on of hands, they are claimed by Christ
as his own, and empowered by the Spirit to spread the Gospel by word and deed, and thus build up
Christ’s Body, the Church.
1630 The ordinary minister of Confirmation is the Bishop who is successor of the apostles, with the
fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders. The Bishop’s administering demonstrates the effect of
Confirmation: to unite the confirmed more closely to the Church, to her apostolic origins, and to her
mission of bearing witness to Christ. (cf. CCC 1313). However, for grave reasons, the Bishop may
delegate to priests the faculty to administer the sacrament.

A. Effects of Confirmation

1631. The main effect of Confirmation is to strengthen and confirm the grace of Baptism (cf. CCC 1302-
3). This means a more intense sharing in the mission of Christ and of the Church, empowering the
confirmed to be public witnesses of the Faith: • witness to the Kingdom of God and God’s power
present in the new age begun in Christ; • witness to Jesus the Christ, as the unique Savior of all; •
witness to the freedom from the slavery of sin brought by God’s presence through Christ and the Spirit;
• witness to the love of God, Father, Risen Incarnate Son, and Spirit, by loving service of others in the
Spirit; and • witness to Christ’s real presence in the Christian community, the People of God, the Church.

1632. This witness flows from the permanent “character” imprinted on those confirmed by the
Sacrament (cf. CCC 1304-5). In the Gospel of Luke, the Risen Christ explained to the apostles that “the
Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. In his name, penance for the remission of
sins is to be preached to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of this. I send down
upon you the promise of my Father [the Spirit] (Lk 24:46-49). The introduction to the Rite of
Confirmation explains the origin and function of this “character,” originally included in the baptismal
ritual:

Signed with the oil by the Bishop’s hand, the baptized person receives the indelible character, the seal of
the Lord, together with the gift of the Spirit, which conforms him more closely to Christ and gives him
the grace of spreading the Lord’s presence among men (RC 9).

B. Qualities of Christian Witness

1633. To be effective witnesses to Christ and the Church demands certain basic qualities: • personal
knowledge, awareness, and experience of Christ in their daily lives; • strong and enthusiastic Christian
convictions and active commitment to Christ and the Church; • a basic grounding in Scripture, Church
teaching and fundamental human experience; • the human leadership qualities of honesty and integrity
that inspire confidence and a following; • the communication skills needed to present Christ’s challenge
to the Filipino of today in an attractive and persuasive manner; and • the courage to suffer and risk for
the Kingdom of God.

C. Age for Confirmation

1634. Such a description of qualities needed for confirmed Christian witness naturally raises the pastoral
question of when the sacrament of Confirmation should be conferred. In ancient times it was given
immediately after Baptism. But when infant Baptism became the standard practice, the

sacrament of Confirmation was postponed to a later time — the age of discretion. Today there are some
advocating restoring the original unity while others wish to postpone it further to young adulthood. Yet
there are good reasons for confirming around the age of discretion or later, as is the more common
Church policy in the Philippines. The adolescents begin to move away from childish ways and take their
first steps toward a personally chosen Faith, and begin to take an active part in Christian community life.

1635. More important than endless arguments among the “experts” over what age is the best time for
the administration of the sacrament is the careful preparation needed. Both the candidates for
Confirmation and their parents (as well as godparents and sponsors) have to be prepared well if the
Sacrament is to be truly efficacious. Without such careful preparation a fruitful celebration of the
sacrament is simply not possible.

1636. Current Proposal. Most agree that Confirmation is: 1) a sacrament of initiation, 2) received only
once, which 3) completes Baptism, 4) by a post-baptismal reception of the Holy Spirit. From an
anthropological point of view, Confirmation would be classified as a transitional ritual __ like all the
other Sacraments except the Eucharist which is rather an intensification ritual. As a transition ritual,
Confirmation marks a change in the self-understanding of those confirmed, as well as in the
community’s estimate and reception of them.

1637. While as a sacrament of initiation, Confirmation should be linked with Baptism as the completion
of initiation into the Church, nevertheless Confirmation also marks a new stage in the confirmed’s
Christian life. The change is basically from being passively served to active service of others in the
Church, from first initiation into the Church to public declaration of full discipleship in the Church’s
ministry. The “time” for the celebration of this change is not primarily a matter of chronological age
(chronos), but rather of the “appropriate moment” (Kairos) for marking this change. This “appropriate
moment” ordinarily does not come spontaneously, but has to be prepared for, over a certain period of
time. A process for preparing for Confirmation could be worked out along the lines of the RCIA, which
prepares adults for Baptism.

D. Confirmation’s Relation to Christ and the Church

1638. As Jesus was shown to be the Baptized One, so here it is obvious that Christ is also the Confirmed
One in the Holy Spirit. From his conception, through his redemptive mission of his public ministry,
climaxing in his Resurrection and Ascension to his Father, the man Jesus is constantly guided,
strengthened and led by the Spirit. The Spirit in Christ our Lord is: • the Spirit of HOLINESS who makes
present the All-Holy One; • the Spirit of LOVE who enables his followers to love as he loves; • the Spirit
of LIFE who came that we “might have life and have it more abundantly”; • the Spirit of POWER to fulfill
the Father’s will and enable his followers to do the same; • the Spirit of TRUTH who sets us free; and •
the Spirit of FORGIVENESS who brings eternal salvation to the repentant.

1639. We meet this Spirit of the Lord in his Body, the Church. Christ’s Church is the “Confirmed Church,”
the Church of the SPIRIT, precisely because of Christ’s real presence within his Body. Pentecost affirms
the active presence of the Spirit in the Church from its inception. Viewing Confirmation in terms of Christ
and the Church helps to see it as a prayer event, a celebration making explicit what God has done and is
continuing to do with and among His People. The communal, ecclesial dimension of Confirmation is
essential; not the age of Confirmation, but the presence of the Spirit is the true point of focus.

E. Godparents/Sponsors for Baptism and Confirmation

1640. In the Philippines, social relations between families often seem to play the dominant role in the
choice of godparents and sponsors for Baptisms and Confirmations. In a Catholic country like ours, it is
natural that the social structure and family alliances find expression in religious activities as well. But this
practice can become a “secularizing” temptation that obscures the primary Faith-meaning of the
sacraments. This temptation must be faced and overcome by insisting on the properly Faith norms for
choosing godparents and sponsors. They should be: a) sufficiently mature persons (ordinarily at least 16
years old), b) good-living Catholics who themselves have been initiated in the three sacraments of
Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist; and c) who are capable and truly intend to help the newly
baptized/confirmed to faithfully live up to all the duties inherent in Christian life. Today the Church
recommends that the godparents at Baptism be present and even be the sponsor at Confirmation,
though it is always possible to choose a special sponsor for Confirmation.

INTEGRATION

1641. The sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation offer an admirable example of the integration of
worship with Catholic doctrine and morals. It is impossible to attain even a minimum appreciation of
Baptism and Confirmation as sacraments initiating us into the Christian life without a sound
understanding of the Holy Spirit, particularly in the Spirit’s joint mission with the Incarnate Son.
Moreover, an appreciation of the Church as necessary for salvation is the necessary context for
understanding Baptism’s necessity and relationship with Faith (cf. LG 14). The importance of grasping
these relationships may be proven by the tragic consequences so evident among fallen-away Catholics
who never were adequately catechized about these fundamental Catholic realities.

1642. Regarding Catholic morality, the social thrust of the Catholic Church in our country puts a
premium on the fruitful celebration of Confirmation. With the great majority of Filipinos purporting to
be Catholic, at least nominally, it is very difficult to raise the typical Catholic community and parish to
the quality of witness to Christ proposed here. Too often we seem to be the mass of dough rather than
the dynamic yeast that raises the whole mass. One of the most powerful means for fostering social
awareness and action among Filipino Catholics should be the total process of preparing for and
celebrating the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. That such does not always seem to be the case
may confirm the urgent call of PCP II for sacra-mental catechesis.

Answer the following:

1. What is the origin of the sacrament of Confirmation?
Originally what we call Confirmation was part of the developed Baptismal rite. Yet, there is a certain
scriptural basis in distinguishing the bestowal of the Holy Spirit through water-Baptism and by the
“laying on of hands.” Through the centuries, because the increasing number and size of dioceses,
parishes, and infant baptisms made it a practical impossibility for the Bishop to confirm all, the anointing
and laying on of hands were separated from water-Baptism to form a separate sacrament. In the East it
is called “Chrismation,” meaning “anointing with chrism.”
2. How is the sacrament of Confirmation conferred?

 The sacrament of Confirmation is conferred by “anointing with holy Chrism on the forehead,
done while imposing the hands and by these words: ‘N., be sealed with the Gift of the Holy
Spirit’ ” (CCC 1300). In the Old Testament, anointing signified healing, purification and
strengthening, but most of all empowerment.

3. What are the effects of the sacrament of Confirmation?

 The main effect of Confirmation is to strengthen and confirm the grace of Baptism (cf. CCC 1302-
3). This means a more intense sharing in the mission of Christ and of the Church, empowering
the confirmed to be public witnesses of the Faith:
• witness to the Kingdom of God and God’s power present in the new age begun in Christ;
• witness to Jesus the Christ, as the unique Savior of all;
• witness to the freedom from the slavery of sin brought by God’s presence through Christ and
the Spirit;
• witness to the love of God, Father, Risen Incarnate Son, and Spirit, by loving service of others
in the Spirit; and
• witness to Christ’s real presence in the Christian community, the People of God, the Church.

4. What is the proper age for conferring Confirmation?

In ancient times it was given immediately after Baptism. But when infant Baptism became the standard
practice, the sacrament of Confirmation was postponed to a later time — the age of discretion.

5. How is Confirmation related to Christ and the Church?

As Jesus was shown to be the Baptized One, so here it is obvious that Christ is also the Confirmed One in
the Holy Spirit. From his conception, through his redemptive mission of his public ministry, climaxing in
his Resurrection and Ascension to his Father, the man Jesus is constantly guided, strengthened and led
by the Spirit. The Spirit in Christ our Lord is:

• the Spirit of HOLINESS who makes present the All-Holy One;

• the Spirit of LOVE who enables his followers to love as he loves;

• the Spirit of LIFE who came that we “might have life and have it more abundantly”;

• the Spirit of POWER to fulfill the Father’s will and enable his followers to do the same;

• the Spirit of TRUTH who sets us free; and

• the Spirit of FORGIVENESS who brings eternal salvation to the repentant.

We meet this Spirit of the Lord in his Body, the Church. Christ’s Church is the “Confirmed Church,” the
Church of the SPIRIT, precisely because of Christ’s real presence within his Body.