In the local Latin diocese, the Bishop has a Confirmation night for adults at the Cathedral, once a year. He prefers to keep the Confirmations at the parishes exclusively for the kids, but will confirm adults then in exceptional circumstances.The Bishop is the ordinary minister of Confirmation and has to give the priest the faculty to confirm a child or an adult under normal circumstances. The Law gives the priest the faculty to confirm an adult he’s baptizing or receiving into full communion and anyone in danger of death. That’s why I don’t understand why Catholics are being confirmed at the Easter Vigil in so many parishes. The odd time we’ve had an adult asking for Confirmation it’s been done at the regular time for Confirmation in our parish. One mom was confirmed with her 7 year old daughter’s class.
I wonder if this isn’t so much “in the eye of the beholder” as “widely ignored”? I mean, I wonder if a priest ever even brings this up to a couple in order to let them know that they should be confirmed and determine if this would require any inconvenience at all? I’ve never heard of it happening and many people who “missed” confirmation in their teens go on to never receive the sacrament because it is seen as not particularly important, in spite of the clear teaching of the church to the contrary.T
Since it could be a person of the opposite sex, it doesn’t affect validity in any way. As with other things, ‘reasonable cause’ is in the eyes of the person who grants the permission. I see something similar with the Church’s law that “Catholics who have not yet received the sacrament of confirmation are to receive it before they are admitted to marriage if it can be done without grave inconvenience.” “Grave inconvenience” is also in the eyes of the beholder and I’ve never known a priest in the last 17 years in our parish insist that someone be confirmed before he’d marry them.
At what age are children usually confirmed in your eparchy? I’m surprised to hear that children in the Syro-Malabar church are not chrismated immediately after baptism. I thought that was universal among the Eastern Churches. Do you give Communion to infants, or delay it until the age of reason?You are right about the bishop being the ordinary minister. In my eparchy, it is done by the bishop. I am saying, a priest needs separate permissions to confirm and to confirm a young child.
Another thing that we can lay at the door of poor catechesis.I wonder if this isn’t so much “in the eye of the beholder” as “widely ignored”? I mean, I wonder if a priest ever even brings this up to a couple in order to let them know that they should be confirmed and determine if this would require any inconvenience at all? I’ve never heard of it happening and many people who “missed” confirmation in their teens go on to never receive the sacrament because it is seen as not particularly important, in spite of the clear teaching of the church to the contrary.
Yes, I can certainly see how having the Bishop do the confirmation would be a grave inconvenience. Does the bishop come annually for Confirmations of the kids, or just every couple of years? For some couples, this could work. For example, the couple meets with the priest in February and schedules a July or August wedding. The Bishop is scheduled to come for Confirmation in May. Perhaps the unconfirmed member of the couple could be confirmed at that time? Or the priest could be given the faculties to confirm? I’m not saying that it would always work or be without some inconvenience, it is just my impression that this subject in never broached in wedding preparations. Are we missing an opportunity here by ignoring this directive of the Church, which is in place for the good of souls? Poor Catechesis can be corrected, but once a person has become an adult, there are few opportunities. Preparation for marriage is one of them. And yes, I do know that many couples would balk at one more thing, one more hoop to jump through, but can’t we at least broach the subject and give them an opportunity?Another thing that we can lay at the door of poor catechesis.
For my parish it would be a grave inconvenience, particularly if the bishop wishes to be the minister. We are a an 11 hour drive or a $700 flight away from the cathedral so sending folks out or bringing the bishop in is not something we do outside his regular schedule. We don’t have enough adults who ask for this to justify either.
You’re right. And you’re right about all the graces, etc. But I have to admit, I always thought that my being confirmed by a bishop was something special. And, if I had waited a couple of years, I could have been confirmed by the Cardinal, which I was privileged to serve; yet I envied those who were confirmed by him that day.Another thing that we can lay at the door of poor catechesis.
For my parish it would be a grave inconvenience, particularly if the bishop wishes to be the minister. We are a an 11 hour drive or a $700 flight away from the cathedral so sending folks out or bringing the bishop in is not something we do outside his regular schedule. We don’t have enough adults who ask for this to justify either.
I don’t know how the priest goes about it. I haven’t worked closely with this latest pastor so I don’t know his ways. Prior ones didn’t seem to be too concerned with Confirmation for those getting married. I think they were happy just to see them come to the Church for that.Yes, I can certainly see how having the Bishop do the confirmation would be a grave inconvenience. Does the bishop come annually for Confirmations of the kids, or just every couple of years? For some couples, this could work. For example, the couple meets with the priest in February and schedules a July or August wedding. The Bishop is scheduled to come for Confirmation in May. Perhaps the unconfirmed member of the couple could be confirmed at that time? Or the priest could be given the faculties to confirm? I’m not saying that it would always work or be without some inconvenience, it is just my impression that this subject in never broached in wedding preparations. Are we missing an opportunity here by ignoring this directive of the Church, which is in place for the good of souls? Poor Catechesis can be corrected, but once a person has become an adult, there are few opportunities. Preparation for marriage is one of them. And yes, I do know that many couples would balk at one more thing, one more hoop to jump through, but can’t we at least broach the subject and give them an opportunity?
we call it,At what age are children usually confirmed in your eparchy? I’m surprised to hear that children in the Syro-Malabar church are not chrismated immediately after baptism. I thought that was universal among the Eastern Churches. Do you give Communion to infants, or delay it until the age of reason?
(Never mind… I did my own search. Interesting history here. nelsonmcbs.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/the-new-text-of-the-sacraments-syro-malabar-church-fr-thomas-mannooramparambil.pdf)
How is the bishop or priest supposed to address you? (I presume this is still done.)either sex, brothers or sisters included, any saints name ** or none.**
At confirmations I’ve attended, the confirmand was given a card with his/her information on it, the card was passed to the assistant who read out the name and the bishop addressed the confirmand by that name.How is the bishop or priest supposed to address you? (I presume this is still done.)
The person has a baptismal name.How is the bishop or priest supposed to address you? (I presume this is still done.)