Holy Mystery of Christian Illumintation

[simple_soul]

Hello everyone,

I hope this makes sense but I was wondering if anyone could explain the Theology of why the Holy Christian Illumination includes Baptism, Communion, and Chrismation(Confirmation). I do understand that some rites separate them and some of their reasons for doing it so I would just like to know why some rites administer them all together and how they understand these sacraments.
Maybe someone could recommend a book that might explain it for me.

Thank you for your time.

 

[Aramis]

Typically, only the Roman Church doesn’t administer them all at once to children, and all rites administer them all together for adults, tho some localities may differ.

Roman theology puts chrismation/confirmation into age of reason, requiring the individual themselves actually seek the “seal of the Holy Spirit.”

The Byzantine Rite Churches tend to see Chrismation as the gifting of the seal of the holy spirit… not something to be sought, but something given by the church to the faithful in order to bring them into full communion.

Those Byzantine Rite churches which do not baptize and chrismate simultaneously do so because of latinization

 

[twf]

Aramis: It should be noted that even the Latin Church confirms infants in danger of death. Waiting until after the age of reason is the norm, not a requirement.

 

[simple_soul]

Typically, only the Roman Church doesn’t administer them all at once to children, and all rites administer them all together for adults, tho some localities may differ.

Roman theology puts chrismation/confirmation into age of reason, requiring the individual themselves actually seek the “seal of the Holy Spirit.”

The Byzantine Rite Churches tend to see Chrismation as the gifting of the seal of the holy spirit… not something to be sought, but something given by the church to the faithful in order to bring them into full communion.

Those Byzantine Rite churches which do not baptize and chrismate simultaneously do so because of latinization

Thank you Aramis,
What you said here makes sense.
I was just wondering if you could recomend a book that might share how the Eastern Churchs teach about the sacraments.

 

[Aramis]

If one ignores the chapter on marriage, Rev. Fr. Schmmemman’s For the Life of the World is pretty good, and corresponds very closely to what I’ve heard from Ruthenian priests.

His Orthodox view of marriage is, IMO, a bit warped; it is, sadly, consistent with the OCA published views.

In fact, much of the Orthodox teaching is sound; the big differences are ecclesiology and marriage. (In fact, the theology of marriage and reproduction are probably the biggest practical divide on the ground.)

 

[Joe_Kelley]

The original form was Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, in that order, in one ceremony [as is now done for Adult converts at the Easter Vigil]. As the Church spread the Bishops in the West delegated the ordinary Baptisms to priests and deacons but retained the power of Confirmation. Thus one could be Baptized immediately, but had to await a meeting with the Bishop for Confirmation.

Confirmation for infants was then often delayed. The age varies by country. In the U.S. it is usually in the preteens or early teens, but in some of the Hispanic countries to the south it is often earlier. This sometimes causes confusion with immigrants who have children who were confirmed at earlier ages; I have heard cases as young as three.

Pope Pius X decided that Eucharist should not be delayed to later age. He ruled that children should receive Communion at the age of reason - six or seven, even if they were not Confirmed by that age. Current rule is that, if they did not receive First Communion at that time, then they must be Confirmed before receiving. Thus Children of those coming into the Church may be Confirmed at age nine or ten or whatever, which confuses the Religious Education classes sometimes.