Confirmation for new Catholic

[Mary_Zapadka]

I was a sponsor for a young lady this year. She was received into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. It was unusual as she was the only candidate in RCIA this year. She made a profession of Faith (about two lines) and that was it. Shouldn’t she have been Confirmed? I know she was confirmed in the Lutheran Church many years ago, but their ministers don’t have Apostolic Powers. Will she ever be able to be a Godparent in the Catholic Church? Thank you for your time to answer this question which has been bothering me.****

 

[puzzleannie]

yes the whole point was that she should have the profession of faith, confirmation and first communion. The only reason I can think of is that the priests in this diocese do not have the faculty to confirm baptized persons, so she must go to a later ceremony with the bishop, usually on or near pentecost. PLease enquire directly of the pastor right away on her behalf, since you are the sponsor, so she does not miss out.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

If she professed “~ I believe in all the Catholic Church teaches and professes” before a Priest and the Priest said " (name) you are received into the Catholic Church" then she was confirmed. And this should be followed minutes later by her first communion. Is that what happened? If so she is good to go, which means start the process of being Catholic. If not she needs to have this done at Pentecost

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I was a sponsor for a young lady this year. She was received into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. It was unusual as she was the only candidate in RCIA this year. She made a profession of Faith (about two lines) and that was it. Shouldn’t she have been Confirmed? I know she was confirmed in the Lutheran Church many years ago, but their ministers don’t have Apostolic Powers. Will she ever be able to be a Godparent in the Catholic Church? Thank you for your time to answer this question which has been bothering me.

Yes she should have been Confirmed. Either your priest made a mistake that needs to be corrected or he plans on Confirming her during the Eater Season or on Pentecost. Either way you both need to see him and ask what is going on. You are correct Lutheran confirmation is invalid and not recognized by the Catholic Church. She will not qualify as a Godparent until she is Confirmed.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

If she professed “~ I believe in all the Catholic Church teaches and professes” before a Priest and the Priest said " (name) you are received into the Catholic Church" then she was confirmed. And this should be followed minutes later by her first communion. Is that what happened? If so she is good to go, which means start the process of being Catholic. If not she needs to have this done at Pentecost

Making a Profession of Faith is not equivalent to the Sacrament of Confirmation.

 

[otjm]

It may well be that the bishop has reserved Confirmation of adults to himself and that she will join other Catholic adults to be Confirmed together by the bishop. The Easter Vigil service presumes that an adult professing the faith and joining the Church will be Confirmed at that Mass, but I don’t recall that it is mandatory.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

It may well be that the bishop has reserved Confirmation of adults to himself and that she will join other Catholic adults to be Confirmed together by the bishop. The Easter Vigil service presumes that an adult professing the faith and joining the Church will be Confirmed at that Mass, but I don’t recall that it is mandatory.

The main point however is that this should have been made clear, instead of just leaving it hanging.

 

[otjm]

The main point however is that this should have been made clear, instead of just leaving it hanging.

On that we can agree. With no intent to besmirch the activity of the sponsor, I have found some sponsors very involved all the way through RCIA and some only show up at the Vigil. If the sponsor was there all along, I would be more concerned; if they were not there always, then it is possible that the candidate, now Catholic, knows the answer, but the sponsor doesn’t.

Or it could possibly be that the sponsor was not familiar with the actual parts of the ritual of Confirmation; I would assume they were, but it always surprises me how fast it is - Baptism takes longer. I am just suggesting the benefit of the doubt. It seems sometimes that posters have a tendency to make assumptions all too quickly.

There could also be a very practical matter, that the one joining the Church had not had the opportunity to go to Reconcilliation and was not in a postion to be Confirmed, or had other issues that prevented them from receiving the sacarment right then. Some people may not prefer to reveal all of their personal issues.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

On that we can agree. With no intent to besmirch the activity of the sponsor, I have found some sponsors very involved all the way through RCIA and some only show up at the Vigil. If the sponsor was there all along, I would be more concerned; if they were not there always, then it is possible that the candidate, now Catholic, knows the answer, but the sponsor doesn’t.

Or it could possibly be that the sponsor was not familiar with the actual parts of the ritual of Confirmation; I would assume they were, but it always surprises me how fast it is - Baptism takes longer. I am just suggesting the benefit of the doubt. It seems sometimes that posters have a tendency to make assumptions all too quickly.

There could also be a very practical matter, that the one joining the Church had not had the opportunity to go to Reconcilliation and was not in a postion to be Confirmed, or had other issues that prevented them from receiving the sacarment right then. Some people may not prefer to reveal all of their personal issues.

If the last was the case then they should not have made their Profession of Faith.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

Making a Profession of Faith is not equivalent to the Sacrament of Confirmation.

I understand however in the Easter Vigils I have attended, the confirmation is so quick and proceed by an extravagant baptism of Catechumens. The result is Candidates often go from sitting and watching (2-3hrs) to finished so fast they (to include sponsors and parents) often do not realize it has happened. We actually now pin a stole on the newly confirmed to symbolize the gift. I am wondering if this is what happen to Mary?

 

[otjm]

If the last was the case then they should not have made their Profession of Faith.

Why? That a) doesn’t require a state of grace, as it is not a sacrament, and b) avoids the issue of potential multiple uses of the Sacrament of Reconcilliation prior to officially entering the Church. There is probably enough leeway in Canon law concerning non-Catholics receiving a sacrament to allow it, but the Easter Vigil is the ordinary time for people joining the church to make the profession of faith. It is also the time designated for the reception of all of the Sacraments of Initiation - for those already baptized, for Confirmation and First Communion. And most likely it was not the issue anyway, if the candidate made their first Communion. I was simply trying to suggest a number of scenarios that could result in the candidate not being confirmed.