Question about confirmation

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ALLFORHIM

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Hi,

I was wondering if the CC requires a person to go through confirmation? I was just wondering because I was researching Germany for my sons school project and on the website it gave a link to religions in Germany. It was a boy talking about his friends and what religion they are and what they do in that religion. He mentioned that he, a protestant, is confirmed, but his catholic, Jewish and muslim friends are not. He said the catholics have Holy Communion and the Jews have Bar/bat mitzva’s.

I was just wondering if the CC requires confirmation or is it up to the individual Parish or Diocese?

Thanks
 
ALLFORHIM said:
Hi,

I was wondering if the CC requires a person to go through confirmation? I was just wondering because I was researching Germany for my sons school project and on the website it gave a link to religions in Germany. It was a boy talking about his friends and what religion they are and what they do in that religion. He mentioned that he, a protestant, is confirmed, but his catholic, Jewish and muslim friends are not. He said the catholics have Holy Communion and the Jews have Bar/bat mitzva’s.

I was just wondering if the CC requires confirmation or is it up to the individual Parish or Diocese?

Thanks
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For Catholics, Confirmation is a sacrament which is universally practiced throughout the world. Another example of the uninformed making statements about issues he doesn’t understand. The age of Confirmation practiced in various dioceses is different. In mine it is around 16 while in a nearby diocese they do it when the child is around 10.
 
Orionthehunter said:
For Catholics, Confirmation is a sacrament which is universally practiced throughout the world. Another example of the uninformed making statements about issues he doesn’t understand. The age of Confirmation practiced in various dioceses is different. In mine it is around 16 while in a nearby diocese they do it when the child is around 10.
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Hi,

Yes I understand it is a universal practice but is it a requirement by the CC? I wonder if it isnt then the Germans may not do it. :confused:
 
ALLFORHIM said:
Hi,

I was wondering if the CC requires a person to go through confirmation? I was just wondering because I was researching Germany for my sons school project and on the website it gave a link to religions in Germany. It was a boy talking about his friends and what religion they are and what they do in that religion. He mentioned that he, a protestant, is confirmed, but his catholic, Jewish and muslim friends are not. He said the catholics have Holy Communion and the Jews have Bar/bat mitzva’s.

I was just wondering if the CC requires confirmation or is it up to the individual Parish or Diocese?

Thanks
Click to expand...
First remember that “confirmation” in a protestant religion is not the same as the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Catholic Church. It is not exactly the same as the Bar/Bat mitzva either. The Catholic Church has what are called the Sacraments of Initiation, Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion. Until a person receives all three their Initiation into the Catholic faith is incomplete.
 
Puzzleannie or one of the deacons will be along to correct me where I am wrong or misinformed myself, but here goes:

A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.

Confirmation is one of the sacraments of initiation, along with baptism and the Eucharist (First Communion, of what is hopefully many).

Baptism is where the soul is regenerated, brought to life, adopted as a Child of God. Confirmation, or Chrismation as it is called in the Eastern Rite (still Catholics) completes (seals) baptism, and imparts the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Knowledge, Fear of the Lord). The Eucharist is union with God through receiving Jesus’ Body and Blood as food. To quote my younger granddaughter, “It looks like bread. But it’s not! It’s Jesus!”

The reason I bring up Chrismation and the Eastern Church: Priests in these rites complete all three sacraments right then for the infant. The baby is baptized (immersed), chrismated, then dressed in white clothes and fed the Eucharist off a spoon (Of course, everybody receives Communion off a spoon there, but I digress).

In the Latin (Roman) Rite, Confirmation was separated from Baptism because the bishop reserved the sacrament to himself. So, he had to do the confirming, not the priest. And when the bishop got around to your parish, that’ s when you were confirmed. If you didn’t get confirmed, you were still baptized, and that is the essential sacrament. Young people did not make their First Communions until they were about 12, which was thought to be an age of discretion.

During the reign of Pius X at the turn of the 20th century, in addition to restoring Gregorian chant, he stated that children as young as 7 could receive the Eucharist. Until recently, children in this country and in Europe used to receive Confirmation as young as 8. In Mexico, because nobody knows when the bishop will be through next time, babies are still confirmed in outlying area.

As time went on, people got creative with Confirmation. They saw Protestants and Jews confirming or bar mitzvah-ing, and felt children of that age should have Confirmation as their “rite of passage” sacrament. Some dioceses raised the Confirmaiton age to as high as 18! Some dioceses stated 7th and 8th grade as the norm. Some want service projects. Some want Mass attendance. All these “hoops” and conditions were attached to the Latin Rite Confirmation, to make it the young person’s “confirming of their own faith”. All these things have little-to-nothing to do with the sacrament.

Is Confirmation necessary for salvation? No. Does it help and complete baptism, and give grace to endure for the Faith? Absolutely. Should children be deprived of it to jump through hoops, use it as a rite pf passage, or so they can "confirm their faith? I don’t think so.

If you’d like to find out more on Confirmation, please look at this web site:

/text/pt2sect2chpt1art2.htmhttp://www.usccb****catechism
 
Fantastic and fascinating. Amazing how ignorant one can be about even something as ‘simple’ as the 7 Sacraments! :eek:
 
ALLFORHIM said:
Hi,

Yes I understand it is a universal practice but is it a requirement by the CC? I wonder if it isnt then the Germans may not do it. :confused:
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Yes, Confirmation is required of all Catholics per Canon Law :

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.

Can. 891 The sacrament of confirmation is to be conferred on the faithful at about the age of discretion, unless the Episcopal Conference has decided on a different age, or there is a danger of death or, in the judgment of the minister, a grave reason suggests otherwise.

Confirmation is also a prerequisite to the Sacrament of Marriage and Holy Orders.

However, In the strictest sense of the word “required” the answer is no-- because no one will force a Catholic to get confirmed nor will the bishop come knocking on your door and hold you down to confirm you.
 
Hi,

Thanks for all of your answers. I got the answer I was looking for.👍
 
1ke said:
However, In the strictest sense of the word “required” the answer is no-- because no one will force a Catholic to get confirmed nor will the bishop come knocking on your door and hold you down to confirm you.
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LOL reminds me of my Confirmation after I was converted at 15. Somehow no one mentioned about the little slap on the cheek that the Bishop gave and I assume still does. Was I surprised:p

:heart:Blyss
 
BlyssfulDreamer said:
LOL reminds me of my Confirmation after I was converted at 15. Somehow no one mentioned about the little slap on the cheek that the Bishop gave and I assume still does. Was I surprised:p

:heart:Blyss
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Wait a minute…a slap on the cheek? Is this something that I, as a 62 year old RCIA Candidate, will have to experience?:eek:
 
1ke said:
However, In the strictest sense of the word “required” the answer is no-- because no one will force a Catholic to get confirmed nor will the bishop come knocking on your door and hold you down to confirm you.
Click to expand...
Our bishop might get an ecclesiastic court order and hold 'em down when he’s feeling better. He’s a big guy! He could pin 'em.😉
 
The “slap” which is very gentle (no confirmands decked in the aisle) is not specifically part of the Rite. It was an add-in, to remind the confirmand that he or she should be ready and willing to take injury for the Faith. Some bishops do it, most nowadays don’t. I am sure they will be very gentle with your person, esp. if you are in RCIA and the priest has been delegated to confirm you.
 
:rotfl:

:o

(in response to the post about the bishop knocking on the door and holding down confirmands 😃 )
 
According to my confirmation instructor, the Sacrament of Confirmation is soon to be a world-wide requirement for Catholics seeking to marry in the Church. Before now, Bishops had the authority to permit unconfirmed Catholics to marry in their particular diocese, but Pope Benedict has recently stated that this will not be happening any longer. Those exceptions made by the bishops led many lay people to believe that Confirmation is not required. I suppose that might be the source of the German webmaster’s confusion.
 
As of May 06, our Bishop still slapped 🙂
He kinda gently hold your face with his hand.😃

Tak
 
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