Bishop puts Confirmation before First Communion, wins Pope's praise [CWN]

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Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo, North Dakota, has earned special praise from Pope Benedict XVI for his decision to alter the usual sequence in which young Catholics receive the sacraments, …

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Yes! As I posted in another thread. This is something for which liturgists and theologians have been requesting for about 30 years!
 
CWN_News said:
Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo, North Dakota, has earned special praise from Pope Benedict XVI for his decision to alter the usual sequence in which young Catholics receive the sacraments, …

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Diocese of Fargo stated in the July/August 2011 issue of New Earth, that the children “receive first reconciliation in their parishes when they are in second grade. When they are in third grade, they receive both confirmation and first Eucharist during a Mass celebrated by the bishop”.

So second grade first Confession is about age 7-8. So then they wait one more year for sacraments of Confirmation and first Eucharist age 8-9. Quite a contrast from later Confirmation ages.
  1. From apostolic times until about the fifth century the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation were given in one continuous rite of initiation, which culminated in a Christian’s admission to the Eucharist.
  2. In the Middle Ages (5th-13th centuries) Baptism and First Eucharist were administered together at infancy, with a later Confirmation by the bishop in very early childhood.
  3. During the thirteenth to sixteenth century, infant Baptism was the norm but Confirmation was celebrated at the age of discretion (seven), with First Eucharist between the ages of ten and fourteen.
  4. By the sixteenth century until the nineteenth century infant baptism was the norm, Confirmation was between seven and fifteen years, followed by First Eucharist.
  5. In modern times infant baptism, First Eucharist at the age of discretion, and Confirmation between seven and eighteen became common.
  6. The restored order for children is similar to that of the sixteenth century, but early, and for adults, RCIA, is like apostolic times, so it is not a full restoration to before the fifth century.
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americancatholicpress.org/Bishop_Aquila_Send_Forth_Your_Spirit.html
 
This is good to see. I am a firm believer in returning to the restored order of the sacraments.

In my diocese, the Bishop has left it up to the individual parish. Right now, about 20 of 165 communities celebrate in the restored order.

My ideal, FWIW, who be for our Bishop to follow suit. 😃 😛
 
I think it should be left where its at, or maybe moved to the age of 15 or 16.
 
Where is Confirmation in the Bible, what verses relate to it, thank you.
and when did the Church first start confirmation?
 
Luvtosew said:
Where is Confirmation in the Bible, what verses relate to it, thank you.
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Acts 8:14-17. The Samarians had already been Baptized, but had not yet recieved the Fullness of the Spirit until they were confirmed by Apostles.

That shows a clear distinction between Baptism, and the fullness of the Spirt recieved by the laying on of hands by the Apostles (and their heirs, the bishops)

Heb 6:2 again references the laying on of hands as being a critical element of the Christian Faith; equavilent in importance to the teachings of .Ressurection.
and when did the Church first start confirmation?
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See above, in the Apostolic era, by Peter and Paul and the other Apostles.
 
Luvtosew said:
I think it should be left where its at, or maybe moved to the age of 15 or 16.
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Only if we see Confirmation as “my choice” or the child making a personal choice to become a Catholic. It’s not. (The child became a Catholic when he was baptized.)

Confirmation is not “Graduation from Sunday School,” and nor is it the Catholic version of Bar Mitzvah. It is the beginning of a Christian life empowered by the Holy Spirit. The younger, the better, I say. 🙂
 
Brendan said:
Acts 8:14-17. The Samarians had already been Baptized, but had not yet recieved the Fullness of the Spirit until they were confirmed by Apostles.

That shows a clear distinction between Baptism, and the fullness of the Spirt recieved by the laying on of hands by the Apostles (and their heirs, the bishops)

Heb 6:2 again references the laying on of hands as being a critical element of the Christian Faith; equavilent in importance to the teachings of .Ressurection.

See above, in the Apostolic era, by Peter and Paul and the other Apostles.
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Thank you, so I remember reading a thread around 2 months ago from a man who was teaching a confirmation class or what, and the poster said many of them didn’t believe in God and , or didn’t know if they did. I just don’t think it should be done earlier in life, this is like a commitment, and one needs to know their faith, even some didn’t know what the trinity was. So to lower the age just doesn’t seem right, unless the Church doesnt see it as a commitment of real importance.

I read it is suppose to like seal their membership in the Church, shouldn’t one fully understand their faith then.
 
jmcrae said:
Only if we see Confirmation as “my choice” or the child making a personal choice to become a Catholic. It’s not. (The child became a Catholic when he was baptized.)

Confirmation is not “Graduation from Sunday School,” and nor is it the Catholic version of Bar Mitzvah. It is the beginning of a Christian life empowered by the Holy Spirit. The younger, the better, I say. 🙂
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If they know what Christian means.
 
Luvtosew said:
shouldn’t one fully understand their faith then.
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Although conformation can seem like rubber-stamping, full understanding of the faith is never really achieved in this life, so I’d say one needs to know the basics. Acceptance of the sacrament infers the desire to receive it. Bishops presume that when one shows up at confirmation mass, confirmees actually want to be Catholic.
 
Sorry, but kids at that age do what their parents tell them. I think I confirmed at about 11 or 12, and well picking out my name was the only part that mattered and then my Mom gave me a Saint name. Too young in my honest opinion. Whats the rush?
 
Luvtosew said:
I think it should be left where its at, or maybe moved to the age of 15 or 16.
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So do you favor the practice that was used from sixteenth century until the nineteenth (#4) with First Communion following Confirmation?
 
Vico said:
So do you favor the practice that was used from sixteenth century until the nineteenth (#4) with First Communion following Confirmation?
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Sorry I don’t know what is was back then, at what age was it.

I am sure the members on this message board are going to make sure their children know the faith (the important stuff, like Christ died on the Cross and the trinity and that) and what they need to understand, Also what the eucharist is, and what confirmation means, but many parents not as involved as members of this board, probably just think the Church is teaching them and maybe the kids know more than their parents.
I don’t know, kids are probably more smarter nowdays too.
 
Luvtosew said:
Sorry I don’t know what is was back then, at what age was it.

I am sure the members on this message board are going to make sure their children know the faith (the important stuff, like Christ died on the Cross and the trinity and that) and what they need to understand, Also what the eucharist is, and what confirmation means, but many parents not as involved as members of this board, probably just think the Church is teaching them and maybe the kids know more than their parents.
I don’t know, kids are probably more smarter nowdays too.
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  1. By the sixteenth century until the nineteenth century infant baptism was the norm, Confirmation was between seven and fifteen years, followed by First Eucharist.
But that was not the practice from Apostolic times which gave all three sacraments at once (adult of infant, although Tertulian though it should wait until age 3).
 
Luvtosew said:
Sorry, but kids at that age do what their parents tell them. I think I confirmed at about 11 or 12, and well picking out my name was the only part that mattered and then my Mom gave me a Saint name. Too young in my honest opinion. Whats the rush?
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Whats the rush? Do you not understand the efficacy of the sacraments. In this day, when kids are bombarded with immorality at every turn, they need all the graces they can get, ASAP
 
jmcrae said:
Only if we see Confirmation as “my choice” or the child making a personal choice to become a Catholic. It’s not. (The child became a Catholic when he was baptized.)

Confirmation is not “Graduation from Sunday School,” and nor is it the Catholic version of Bar Mitzvah. It is the beginning of a Christian life empowered by the Holy Spirit. The younger, the better, I say. 🙂
Click to expand...
I am so glad you said this! I believe that catechesis should emphasize much more that Holy Confirmation is a Sacrament, a gift instituted by our Lord to confer and/or increase Sanctifying Grace in the soul to make it [more] pleasing to God.

This Sacrament (just like Baptism) should be administered before the age of reason because the child should be endowed with all the spiritual help he can get before he has to confront the evils and temptations of this world. Why wait to give the strength of the Sacrament (whose name means to strengthen) until after the child has the ability to commit a mortal sin?

This is a Sacrament and should be revered as such. Thank you so much for what you wrote.
 
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