Is my Confirmation valid?

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Melchior

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I am returning/have returned to the Church after spending my entire adult and most of my teen years as an Evangelical Protestant (of various stripes over the last 20+ years). When I was confirmed I was already thoroughly Evangelical in belief and basically went through with it for my mother’s sake. But I did not, at the time, believe that anything happend or that the Bishop had and power to confer this grace. Of course now I believe in the sacrament’s efficacy. My question is - did I receive the sacrament? Or did my skepticism make it void? If so what should I do since I cannot be re-confirmed?

Mel
 
You are still confirmed. God’s efficacy is not dependent on Man.
Confirmation is the last of the Sacraments of Initiation. You are a full member of the Church. What can you do at this point?
Every year at Easter, we renew our Baptismal vows. This year when you make this renewal, you will be more aware interiorally of what it means.
Pay for a release of the gifts you have already received as a result of your Baptism and Confirmation. Become involved in parish ministries. Baptism and Confirmation are only a beginning of your walk in Faith.
 
Melchior said:
I am returning/have returned to the Church after spending my entire adult and most of my teen years as an Evangelical Protestant (of various stripes over the last 20+ years). When I was confirmed I was already thoroughly Evangelical in belief and basically went through with it for my mother’s sake. But I did not, at the time, believe that anything happend or that the Bishop had and power to confer this grace. Of course now I believe in the sacrament’s efficacy. My question is - did I receive the sacrament? Or did my skepticism make it void? If so what should I do since I cannot be re-confirmed?

Mel
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Yes, you received a Sacrament at that time. You may not have received any Grace or benefit from it. However upon returning to the practice of the Catholic faith you were required to go to Confession before returning to the Sacraments. The reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation then allowed the Graces and benefits of the Sacrament of Confirmation to be received.
 
If my fellow posters are correct, it sounds like intention means NOTHING when it comes to the sacrament of confirmation. Can someone please document this for me? The OP rejected the sacrament, and thus did not have the intent to receive it (but simply went through the motions)…this would be considered invalid if a baptism. Why is confirmation different?
 
twf said:
If my fellow posters are correct, it sounds like intention means NOTHING when it comes to the sacrament of confirmation. Can someone please document this for me? The OP rejected the sacrament, and thus did not have the intent to receive it (but simply went through the motions)…this would be considered invalid if a baptism. Why is confirmation different?
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Actually not. No Catholic priest would ever baptise or confirm again someone who’s already validly received the sacrament, no matter what their intent or lack thereof when they initially received it. Even if there is DOUBT that they have been validly baptised or confirmed, the priest can only CONDITIONALLY baptise or confirm them again (using the words ‘IF you have not been already baptised/confirmed …’). That is how indelible and unrepeatable these two sacraments are.

In these two sacraments of initiation (baptism and confirmation) an indelible and permanent sacramental seal is placed by God upon the soul of the recepient - like a brand or a tattoo. This makes them unrepeatable and unnecessary of repetition. see the Catechism about pars 1265-1280 to explain the nature of these two sacraments.

Think of it this way - baptism is a birth into life in Christ - and you’re only born once, whether you consent or understand it at the time or not. Like your physical birth you can’t undo your spiritual birth in baptism or be ‘unborn’ or ‘reborn’.

Confirmation is becoming fully mature and fully intiated into the faith - a bit like hitting puberty in physical terms. Again, you can’t take back or undo or redo your physical puberty once started, no matter how little you understand or consent what you’re goign through at the time.
 
Melchior said:
I am returning/have returned to the Church after spending my entire adult and most of my teen years as an Evangelical Protestant (of various stripes over the last 20+ years). When I was confirmed I was already thoroughly Evangelical in belief and basically went through with it for my mother’s sake. But I did not, at the time, believe that anything happend or that the Bishop had and power to confer this grace. Of course now I believe in the sacrament’s efficacy. My question is - did I receive the sacrament? Or did my skepticism make it void? If so what should I do since I cannot be re-confirmed?

Mel
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Mel,
How were you confirmed? You said that you spent most of your teen years as an evangalical. Were you confirmed by a Catholic bishop? You didn’t say that, and it makes a difference.
 
twf said:
If my fellow posters are correct, it sounds like intention means NOTHING when it comes to the sacrament of confirmation. Can someone please document this for me? The OP rejected the sacrament, and thus did not have the intent to receive it (but simply went through the motions)…this would be considered invalid if a baptism. Why is confirmation different?
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Intention is very important. It constitutes one of the three requirements for a valid Sacrament. However it must be understood that the Intention is on the part of the Minister of the Sacrament, not the person receiving it.
 
LilyM said:
Actually not. No Catholic priest would ever baptise or confirm again someone who’s already validly received the sacrament, no matter what their intent or lack thereof when they initially received it. Even if there is DOUBT that they have been validly baptised or confirmed, the priest can only CONDITIONALLY baptise or confirm them again (using the words ‘IF you have not been already baptised/confirmed …’). That is how indelible and unrepeatable these two sacraments are.

In these two sacraments of initiation (baptism and confirmation) an indelible and permanent sacramental seal is placed by God upon the soul of the recepient - like a brand or a tattoo. This makes them unrepeatable and unnecessary of repetition. see the Catechism about pars 1265-1280 to explain the nature of these two sacraments.

Think of it this way - baptism is a birth into life in Christ - and you’re only born once, whether you consent or understand it at the time or not. Like your physical birth you can’t undo your spiritual birth in baptism or be ‘unborn’ or ‘reborn’.

Confirmation is becoming fully mature and fully intiated into the faith - a bit like hitting puberty in physical terms. Again, you can’t take back or undo or redo your physical puberty once started, no matter how little you understand or consent what you’re goign through at the time.
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I have never heard of “Conditional Confirmation”. Conditional Baptism is allowed by the Church because of the necessity of Baptism for Salvation.
 
Confirmation involves a personal decision, even if that decision was made as part of a family tradition (small t) or ritual…
That does not mean that you cannot make a mature personal decision to follow Christ. You will often hear this type of witness from Charismatics who received the Sacraments, but did not truly understand what they meant until committing their lives to Christ later and opening themselves to Baptism in the Spirit. As Bro Rich posted, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a great place to recommit your life to Christ, not as mere ritual, but with full intent.
Important note: The Baptism in the Spirit is not a new Sacrament. It is being open to the gifts each of us has already received through Baptism and Confirmation. It is being open to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
I have never heard of “Conditional Confirmation”. Conditional Baptism is allowed by the Church because of the necessity of Baptism for Salvation.
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My understanding is that Confirmation is a necessity for ordination though. If a man wanted to become a deacon or priest he’d have to first show that he’d been confirmed, no? :confused:

And what would happen if it was thought that he had been, but couldn’t be proven? Confirmation is unrepeatable, so conditional conferring of the sacrament would have to take place to enable the sacrament of Holy Orders to be conferred.
 
LilyM:
In the Eastern Churches confirmation (chrismation) is received IMMEDIATELY after baptism. This was also the practice of the Latin Church before the high middle ages. Does the “puberty” analogy still work in that case?
 
LilyM said:
My understanding is that Confirmation is a necessity for ordination though. If a man wanted to become a deacon or priest he’d have to first show that he’d been confirmed, no? :confused:

And what would happen if it was thought that he had been, but couldn’t be proven? Confirmation is unrepeatable, so conditional conferring of the sacrament would have to take place to enable the sacrament of Holy Orders to be conferred.
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Most people are Confirmed at an age where they can remember and attest to what was said and done. Conditional Baptism is usually required because the person was Baptized as an infant or small child. I just have never heard of conditional Confirmation? I might suspect that it takes place in private with the Bishop, much like conditional Baptism is supposed to take place in orivate with only the priest and Sponsor.
 
twf said:
LilyM:
In the Eastern Churches confirmation (chrismation) is received IMMEDIATELY after baptism. This was also the practice of the Latin Church before the high middle ages. Does the “puberty” analogy still work in that case?
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Equally indelible and unrepeatable. Equally not dependent upon the intention of the recepient or anyone but the minister.

Consider it, in such a case, to also be part of the ‘spiritual birth’ process if that helps. No analogy is perfect.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
Most people are Confirmed at an age where they can remember and attest to what was said and done. Conditional Baptism is usually required because the person was Baptized as an infant or small child. I just have never heard of conditional Confirmation? I might suspect that it takes place in private with the Bishop, much like conditional Baptism is supposed to take place in orivate with only the priest and Sponsor.
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True enough, I don’t imagine it would be a common issue at all.

As mentioned someone who was chrismated as a child in an Eastern Rite might have problems proving it.

Or confirmations that are of doubtful validity (such as with an SSPX or sedevacantist priest or bishop, where their ordination and capacity might be in doubt and the doubt cannot be resolved - you know there are differing opinions as to the validity of some SSPX sacraments).
 
I have been told point blank that sedevacantist confirmations are not valid. I was confirmed that way a year ago and now have to wait until NEXT Easter to be confirmed. A year and a half. This post refers to the previous one in case people were wondering.
 
psr13 said:
I have been told point blank that sedevacantist confirmations are not valid. I was confirmed that way a year ago and now have to wait until NEXT Easter to be confirmed. A year and a half. This post refers to the previous one in case people were wondering.
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Well, strike the sedevacantists then, apologies for my ignorance.
 
No apologies needed. The church I was going to in California that is in communion with the Vatican didn’t have a problem with it. I wasn’t aware of the problem there. Now that I’ve moved, I’ve found out that there is an issue. I’m just frustrated that I have to wait for a year and a half.
 
psr13 said:
No apologies needed. The church I was going to in California that is in communion with the Vatican didn’t have a problem with it. I wasn’t aware of the problem there. Now that I’ve moved, I’ve found out that there is an issue. I’m just frustrated that I have to wait for a year and a half.
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Why on earth would you have to wait a year and a half to be Confirmed. Is it not possible for you to travel to the Bishop when he is near to your parish?
 
When I was confirmed, confirmations only took place once every two years. That is how often the bishop came around.
 
I have to wait because I guess I have to go through RCIA, and they won’t let me join now.
 
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