Questions on confirmation

[MJLouise]

Not sure if I’m ok to proceed with a catholic confirmation.

My parents raised me in two different churches. My mom -the RC parish and my dad the Dutch reformed church (Protestant). I was baptized catholic , went through CCD classes and did first communion, went to religious edu in the RC church and often attended Sunday school in the reformed church. Did the children’s choir at the reformed church and youth group at both churches. In 8th grade my mom and I kept fighting so Sunday’s I’d choose to go with my dad and ended up with more friends at the reformed church. When the time came I confirmed with the reformed church. Before my confirmation I had asked the reverand a few questions such as why they didn’t pray the rosary or to Mary and the saints and he responded saying I was welcome to pray to them I just don’t HAVE to pray to them because we believe in praying directly to god and having a direct relationship with him. I didn’t fully understand this and remember thinking well I guess I can go ahead I can still pray the rosary he said. Now as a 36year old and haven been raising my own kids catholic I can see i really always thought of myself as catholic and now I feel unfinished. My marriage is validated my kids are confirmed catholic I feel like I should be fully confirmed catholic but I’m not sure if that’s ok if I was confirmed reformed or if it’s like. Baptism where it’s a seal and can only be done once? Maybe someone on this forum can point me the right way.

 

[Episcopalian]

Hello there!

You should proceed with being confirmed Catholic!

I happened to have gone the other way, raised Catholic and confirmed Catholic but found a better home in the Episcopal (quasi-Protestant) Church.

Since I was already confirmed by a bishop in apostolic succession, I ended up being received into the Episcopal Church. Same ceremony though as confirmation.

However if I had gone the other way (Episcopal to Catholic) which it sounds like you’d be doing, I’d have to get reconfirmed since the Catholic Church doesn’t recognize the Episcopalian apostolic succession.

 

[angel12]

Now as a 36year old and haven been raising my own kids catholic I can see i really always thought of myself as catholic and now I feel unfinished. My marriage is validated my kids are confirmed catholic I feel like I should be fully confirmed catholic but I’m not sure if that’s ok if I was confirmed reformed or if it’s like. Baptism where it’s a seal and can only be done once? Maybe someone on this forum can point me the right way.

Have you talked to your priest about this? He’s the one who can look at all the details and tell you where this stands.

 

[Cruciferi]

Speak to your Parish Priest. He can help you

 

[mrsdizzyd]

There were some adult Catholics in my RCIA group this year that were there for confirmation only.

I can’t think of anything that would stand in the way of your Catholic confirmation. Speak to the priest about it and explain that you were baptized Catholic and received first communion already.

 

[Shasta-Rose]

If you are baptized in some church recognized by the Catholic church, you never have to be baptized again. Hang onto your baptismal certificate, which is your proof. To be baptized again when you don’t have to is to intimate that you think the Holy Ghost did something insufficient the first time around.

By the way, this has been pointed out before but bears repeating, I guess. You aren’t baptized Catholic or baptized Methodist or baptized with any other word after it. You are just baptized. The only question is, is it recognized by the church you are now trying to join. Most of the main Christian religions recognize one another’s baptism.

After WWII, my parents stayed temporarily with my mother’s parents. They didn’t belong to any church. I came along, and of course, my mother wanted me to be baptized. She walked down to the closest church and asked the pastor there if he would baptize her baby, and he said, Sure, bring her along on Sunday. They went and I was baptized there, and as far as I know that was the last time I set foot in a Presbyterian church.

Baptized Presbyterian? What would that even mean? I spent the whole first part of my life as a Lutheran, was married in a Lutheran church, and referred to myself as a Lutheran for a long time. Now I’m Catholic. But I still have this little piece of paper that says I was baptized in a Presbyterian church.

Baptism is baptism. Period.

 

[MJLouise]

Thanks for your answers! My priest in the states knew I wasn’t confirmed and told me I could sign up to be but I hadn’t told him I was confirmed in a presperterian church. It just was a quick conversation and didn’t come up that was years ago and i focused on my kids and all the classes they had to do and now feel it’s my turn lol but now we’re in Europe with the army and using the army post priest/chaplain. I will def talk to him about it now but wanted more info. I have a lot of anxiety around not being confirmed catholic because people just assume I am since I’m allowed to take communion. It feels weird to bring up. Your info gives me courage though I guess this probably happens a lot- being half way there for decades.

 

[Kaliaa]

There are numbers of people who for one reason or another didn’t get confirmed as a child. It is fairly common to have adults being confirmed. (We had one at the Easter vigil this year along with those who were joining the church.) I taught RCIA classes for a number of years and we had people who had been baptized and had first communion in the RCC but then stopped going attend the classes too. They came to RCIA simply as a refresher course and were then confirmed. (RCIA wasn’t required for them. They did it for themselves or because their priest suggested it.) Talk to the priest and get confirmed. You’ll feel a whole lot better.

 

[awesomecatholic]

You should be confirmed in the Catholic Church. You only have to be baptized once. I highly recommend talking to a priest.

 

[Dovekin]

Confirmation in the Catholic Church is done by an anointing with Chrism consecrated by a bishop accompanied by a laying on of hands.

At the Reformation, Chrism was repudiated by many Protestants, as was the idea of bishops who consecrate Chrism. Confirmation lost those elements and refocussed on teaching doctrine and becoming eligible for Communion. In the eyes of the Church, that is not the same as Catholic Confirmation, even if the elements that Protestants retain are also usually retained by Catholics. What the Catholic Church considers essential was lost.

Anglicans, of course, are somewhere in between.

Circumstances vary, so you need to talk to a priest about your particulars. The likelihood is that the situation is as you feel it is, that you should get confirmed in the Catholic Church.

 

[TomH1]

Yes if you want to be confirmed in the Catholic Church you can be.

The Dutch Reformed Church does not have valid confirmation. I know some, especially members of the Dutch Reformed Church, will not agree. This is, however, a Catholic forum and I’m a Catholic so I’m going to tell you what the Catholic Church says.

Because you can only be confirmed once you can never be confirmed again. The reason the Catholic Church will confirm is because you have not be confirmed for the reason given above.

Because you were baptised in the Catholic Church you are a Catholic. You are not be the only adult Catholic who has not completed the sacraments of initiation.

Please go to see your priest and I am sure he will be more than happy to arrange for your confirmation.