Is it Aposotolic Tradition to have a Bishop administer Confirmation?

[The_Serpent]

In the Vatican II document “Dei Verbum” - Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation. The Church teaches there are two sources of revelation, Sacred Scripture and Tradition. My question is on Confirmation. Is it part of Apostolic Tradition that the Bishop should administer the Sacrament of Confirmation?

 

[Vico]

In the Vatican II document “Dei Verbum” - Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation. The Church teaches there are two sources of revelation, Sacred Scripture and Tradition. My question is on Confirmation. Is it part of Apostolic Tradition that the Bishop should administer the Sacrament of Confirmation?

Christian Initiation

The tradition is for the bishop to confirm (originally the imposition of hands) rather than for the priest to chrismate with the Holy Myron from the eparch. Originally there were bishops and deacons. The priest came later as a representative of the bishop.

Hippolytus’ Apostolic Tradition (earliest Verona edition 215 A.D.) describes this original initiation practice in this order: Baptism

1. bishop makes oil of thanksgiving and oil of exorcism
2. anointing with oil of exorcism
3. nude baptism (by triple immersion)
4. anointing with oil of thanksgiving (then dry and get dressed)

Confirmation/Chrismation

1. then in the church, bishop says dismissal rite over the neophytes: “Lord God, you have made them worthy to receive remission of sins through the laver of regeneration of the Holy Spirit, etc.”
2. laying on of hands together with oil
3. sealing with oil on the forehead
4. the kiss of peace prayer

Eucharist

1. deacons bring oblation (bread and wine, water, milk, and honey)
2. the oblation is blessed
3. the milk and honey are mixed together
4. the bread is distributed
5. each tastes of the water, milk, and wine, three times.
   bombaxo.com/hippolytus.html

Baptism and Latin confirmation were separated due to insistence that the bishop must administer it. Pope Innocent I (d. 417) instituted the change to oil administered only by the bishop suggesting the Paraclete Spirit is given and only through the bishop.

Infants were excluded from Latin communion when bread only began to be used (1215 A.D.).

West: emphasis on Christology.
East: emphasis on Spirit.

Exodus 30:22‑25 has the formula for the Holy Myron.

References:

• Aidan Kavanagh, Confirmation: Origins and Reform (New York: Pueblo, 1988).
• Gerard Austin, Anointing with the Spirit: The Rite of Confirmation (New York: Pueblo, 1985).

According to Maxwell Johnson, just the Ethiopian retains the milk and honey for first communion. Coptic and Ethiopian also have imposition of hands at first communion.

See:

• The rites of Christian initiation: their evolution and interpretation by Maxwell E. Johnson, PhD [minister of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America] (1999, revised in 2007)
• Note: Kilian McDonnell, O.S.B., called it “the best overall treatment of Christian initiation available”.

books.google.com/books?id=otQeg8-xSlEC

Johnson also relates, regarding the Eastern Catholic Churches (of seven categories – Armenian, Byzantine, Coptic, Ethiopian, East Syrian, West Syrian, and Maronite) :

At baptism, the Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, East Syrian, and West Syrian, and Maronite use oil in some way.

Coptic, Ethiopian, and East Syrian still employ imposition of the hands at Chrismation.

 

[Joannm]

Christian Initiation

The tradition is for the bishop to confirm (originally the imposition of hands) rather than for the priest to chrismate with the Holy Myron from the eparch. Originally there were bishops and deacons. The priest came later as a representative of the bishop.

Hippolytus’ Apostolic Tradition (earliest Verona edition 215 A.D.) describes this original initiation practice in this order: Baptism

1. bishop makes oil of thanksgiving and oil of exorcism
2. anointing with oil of exorcism
3. nude baptism (by triple immersion)
4. anointing with oil of thanksgiving (then dry and get dressed)

Confirmation/Chrismation

1. then in the church, bishop says dismissal rite over the neophytes: “Lord God, you have made them worthy to receive remission of sins through the laver of regeneration of the Holy Spirit, etc.”
2. laying on of hands together with oil
3. sealing with oil on the forehead
4. the kiss of peace prayer

Eucharist

1. deacons bring oblation (bread and wine, water, milk, and honey)
2. the oblation is blessed
3. the milk and honey are mixed together
4. the bread is distributed
5. each tastes of the water, milk, and wine, three times.
   bombaxo.com/hippolytus.html

Baptism and Latin confirmation were separated due to insistence that the bishop must administer it. Pope Innocent I (d. 417) instituted the change to oil administered only by the bishop suggesting the Paraclete Spirit is given and only through the bishop.

Infants were excluded from Latin communion when bread only began to be used (1215 A.D.).

West: emphasis on Christology.
East: emphasis on Spirit.

Exodus 30:22‑25 has the formula for the Holy Myron.

References:

• Aidan Kavanagh, Confirmation: Origins and Reform (New York: Pueblo, 1988).
• Gerard Austin, Anointing with the Spirit: The Rite of Confirmation (New York: Pueblo, 1985).

According to Maxwell Johnson, just the Ethiopian retains the milk and honey for first communion. Coptic and Ethiopian also have imposition of hands at first communion.

See:

• The rites of Christian initiation: their evolution and interpretation by Maxwell E. Johnson, PhD [minister of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America] (1999, revised in 2007)
• Note: Kilian McDonnell, O.S.B., called it “the best overall treatment of Christian initiation available”.

books.google.com/books?id=otQeg8-xSlEC

Johnson also relates, regarding the Eastern Catholic Churches (of seven categories – Armenian, Byzantine, Coptic, Ethiopian, East Syrian, West Syrian, and Maronite) :

At baptism, the Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, East Syrian, and West Syrian, and Maronite use oil in some way.

Coptic, Ethiopian, and East Syrian still employ imposition of the hands at Chrismation.

All those authors you quoted are excellent sources. I had Max Johnson as a professor for a course on Christian Initiation. He really knows his history of the Sacraments of Initiation. I learned so much from him.