Confirmation Not Required to Practice?

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DawnInTexas

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I don’t want opinions, I want facts, please. <I know there are many who passionately would give me reasons for Confirmation and the benefits (I agree)>.

During our youngest daughter’s RCIA classes, we discussed the 7 Sacraments:

Baptism
Penance/Confession
Holy Communion
Confirmation
Holy Orders
Matrimony
Annointing of the Sick

The instructor informed the class that Baptism, Penance/Confession, and Holy Communion were the 3 “required” to be a practicing Catholic.

I asked about Confirmation, and he stated it wasn’t required. If you died without it, it wouldn’t be serious, for instance. He didn’t have time to get in-depth with it. Now he’s gone, and I don’t know who is replacing him (to pose the question to them).

-Holy Orders, only a man can receive-and that’s in the Priesthood. <-This one is “optional.”
-Matrimony. <-This one is “optional.”
-Annointing of the Sick. <-This one is “optional.”

…meaning you never “have” to receive these.

But, so is Confirmation, according to “instructor”. I know the benefits and the importance (sealing baptism with Holy Spirit-I do know)…

I may be using the wrong words by calling it optional. I’m going through chemotherapy right now, so I’m a little foggy at times with my words.

+Peace Be With You.
-Dawn in Texas
 
According to the Church the three sacraments of initiation are baptism, confirmation and eucharist. Without all of these one is not a “fully initiated” Catholic. In fact, one could not ordained without all three. In the sense your instructor was speaking of, only baptism is required since that’s necessary for salvation. However, the Church affirms that “the sacraments” are necessary (the the Catechism #1129)

But I would disagree with the instructor since, according to the Church, it is through the sacraments of baptism and confirmation (CCC #1119) that we are able to celebration the liturgy (Mass).

Deacon Ed
 
Thank you, Deacon Ed.

I was concerned because, 1 sister and 1 brother in our family never received confirmation, and I always worried about it.

I am sorry he left our Church, I wanted to discuss this further with him.

+Peace In Christ,
-Dawn
 
Other than Baptism & Holy Orders , you can receive the 4 others without having been confirmed, so really, it isn’t compulsory to be confirmed. This discrepancy occurs because the sacraments of initiation have been topsy turvy since 1910 when Pius X allowed children to receive Communion. Before that Confirmation would always have been before Communion. More and more dioceses are returning the sacraments of initiation to their original order, meaning that more 7 & 8 year olds are being confirmed and receiving Communion in the proper order. It’s postponing & giving the sacrament a meaning it was never meant to have that has led to so many adults not being confirmed.
 
DawnInTexas said:
I don’t want opinions, I want facts, please. <I know there are many who passionately would give me reasons for Confirmation and the benefits (I agree)>.

During our youngest daughter’s RCIA classes, we discussed the 7 Sacraments:

Baptism
Penance/Confession
Holy Communion
Confirmation
Holy Orders
Matrimony
Annointing of the Sick

The instructor informed the class that Baptism, Penance/Confession, and Holy Communion were the 3 “required” to be a practicing Catholic.

I asked about Confirmation, and he stated it wasn’t required. If you died without it, it wouldn’t be serious, for instance. He didn’t have time to get in-depth with it. Now he’s gone, and I don’t know who is replacing him (to pose the question to them).

-Holy Orders, only a man can receive-and that’s in the Priesthood. <-This one is “optional.”
-Matrimony. <-This one is “optional.”
-Annointing of the Sick. <-This one is “optional.”

…meaning you never “have” to receive these.

But, so is Confirmation, according to “instructor”. I know the benefits and the importance (sealing baptism with Holy Spirit-I do know)…

I may be using the wrong words by calling it optional. I’m going through chemotherapy right now, so I’m a little foggy at times with my words.

+Peace Be With You.
-Dawn in Texas
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The three Sacraments of Initiation are Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion. Those three complete your initiation into the Catholic Faith. You are a “practicing” Catholic after Baptism and Holy Communion. You of course need to have access to Reconciliation, but it is not itself a Sacrament of initiation.
 
Confirmation is required for Holy Orders. It is strongly recommended before Matrimony, and there should be a good reason why a person would be allowed to marry without (military about to be deployed for instance). A person who elects to skip confirmation of their own will is refusing to complete his Christian initiation and refusing to ask the Holy Spirit for the fullness of His gifts, so there should be a very grave reason. No it is not required for salvation, but there should be serious doubt in the mind of the priest preparing a couple for marriage about the Christian commitment of the party who refuses to be confirmed.
 
There are 7 Sacraments, except for the Irish.

The Irish count marriage and penance as one and the same. 😃

Sorry, I couldn’t help myself, its a slow day here at work. 🙂

Jim
 
From Canon Law concerning confirmation:
Can. 890 The faithful are obliged to receive this sacrament at the proper time. Parents and pastors of souls, especially pastors of parishes, are to take care that the faithful are properly instructed to receive the sacrament and come to it at the appropriate time.
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You (or an adult sibbling) are well past that time/age, though, so maybe the law doesn’t mean you are obliged to seek it at some new suitable time once you missed it that time. As puzzleannie said, they will strongly encourage people to be confirmed prior to marriage. They are supposed to do it unless some grave inconvenience makes it so that it can’t be done at that time. After all, they do want people to be well prepared for a sacrament before receiving it.

If a person wants to be a sponsor for someone at their baptism, they ought to be a Catholic in good standing, etc, etc, and the law includes in that canon that they should be confirmed.
 
JimR-OCDS said:
There are 7 Sacraments, except for the Irish.

The Irish count marriage and penance as one and the same. 😃

Sorry, I couldn’t help myself, its a slow day here at work. 🙂

Jim
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As does the Polish guy married to the Irish lass! 😛
 
I can see why he’d include the Sacrament of Reconciliation, since annual confession is a precept of the Church.

Still, to be a practicing *adult *Catholic means that one is among those who have been confirmed. If you are an adult and you haven’t sought confirmation, that’s a pretty big “practice” to have omitted! All adults in our parish who have not been confirmed are encouraged to seek that Sacrament, regardless of their age. I may be mistaken, but it is my impression that catechists, EMsHC, lectors, and members of the parish council are only chosen from among confirmed Catholics.
 
The Church teaches that Catholics are OBLIGATED to receive Confirmation.

It is NOT optional. This person was just plain wrong.
 
DawnInTexas said:
Where can I find this? Thanks.
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Canon Law: Book IV; Part 1; Title II; Chapter III: Can. 890: The faithful are bound to receive this sacrament at the proper time. Parents and pastors of souls, especially parish priests, are to see that the faithful are properly instructed to receive the sacrament and come to it at the opportune time.
 
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