Sacrament of Confirmation: to what do we assent?

[Burning_Sapling]

Hi all,

I intend to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this Saturday at the Easter Vigil. As part of the Sacrament I am to say that, “I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.”

Is there a list somewhere that details “all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God”? I would feel more more comfortable saying that I believe and profess such teachings if I knew what they were.

Thanks for any help,

Sapling

 

[Wesrock]

Welcome! And congrats! I probably won’t be the biggest help, but there is the Catechism. And instead of reading the entire thing right now, you could refer just to the end of each section, which has “In Brief” bullet point summaries. If you were not given one in RCIA, it is free online if you search “Catechism of the Catholic Church.”

But I think the big question is: Do you believe the Catholic Church was founded Christ, was entrusted with the deposit of faith of God’s revelation, and has the authority to make definitive interpretations from this deposit of faith, shielded from error by God, and has authoritative teachings on faith and morals (even if not every one is absolutely infallible, though of course some things are)?

That’s the biggie, and the rest falls from there.

 

[1ke]

Hi all,

I intend to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this Saturday at the Easter Vigil. As part of the Sacrament I am to say that, “I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.”

Is there a list somewhere that details “all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God”? I would feel more more comfortable saying that I believe and profess such teachings if I knew what they were.

Thanks for any help,

Sapling

What instruction have you received up to this point? The RCIA catechesis meetings are designed to teach what the Church teaches.

The Nicence Creed is the basis of the profession of faith.

 

[Burning_Sapling]

What instruction have you received up to this point? The RCIA catechesis meetings are designed to teach what the Church teaches.

The Nicence Creed is the basis of the profession of faith.

I’ve been through RCIA. The D.R.E. taught us that there was not a definitive list of revealed teachings. I am on this site to see if others believe otherwise.

The Nicene Creed is probably a good start, but it can’t be a complete basis of the procession of faith as I see it, because it doesn’t mention the Eucharist.

Thanks to all who have responded so far, by the way.

 

[1ke]

The D.R.E. taught us that there was not a definitive list of revealed teachings.

That is a true but incomplete answer.

Of course you can know what the Church teaches. The Catechism of the Catholic Church or the US Adult Catechism is a complete compendium of the teachings of the Church.

What the DRE may have been driving at (I hope what they were driving at) was that the Faith is rich and has 2000 years of history and teaching. Some things are doctrinal and others aspects of the faith fall within prudential judgment. Of course one cannot know “all” about that faith.

But we can certainly know what we must believe as a Catholic.

Some aspects of the faith are a mystery not fully comprehensible by finite humans: the Trinity for example. We can know many things about the Trinity but a finite mind cannot fully comprehend the infinite.

The Catechism is a full summary of the faith.

 

[Jennifer132]

Hello and welcome. I’m a newcomer here as well, and interested in joining the Church. I haven’t yet been through RCIA, though, and am reading through the CCC line by line. The Catechism really is your best bet for understanding what the church teaches. Unfortunately it’s an 800 page document, and not at all light reading. I hope you can carve out some time to at least hit the summaries before Saturday!

 

[Burning_Sapling]

Of course you can know what the Church teaches. The Catechism of the Catholic Church or the US Adult Catechism is a complete compendium of the teachings of the Church.

Thanks! Is it true, though, that the Church teaches that everything in the Catechism is revealed by God? I was under the impression that the Catechism contained a mixture of discipline, doctrine and Dogma, whereas only the latter (two?) were revealed. Actually I believe that a priest once told me this in addition to the DRE.

Are there not any authoritative sources that just plainly say, “X list is what the Church teaches to be revealed”? If there is anything in the Catechism that says that it is a list of revealed teachings, I was unaware of it.

 

[Usige]

Here is most of the pre-Vatican II profession of faith to give you an idea of what it to be believed.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontious Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into Hell, on the third day He arose again from the dead, He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the Holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of body and life everlasting. Amen

I admit and embrace most firmly the apostolic and ecclesiastical traditions and all other constitutions and prescriptions of the church.

I admit the Sacred Scriptures according to the sense which has been held and which is still held by Holy Mother Church, whose duty it is to judge the true sense and interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures, and I shall never accept or interpret them except according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers.

I profess that the Sacraments of the New Law are, truly and precisely seven in number, instituted for the salvation of mankind, though all are not necessary for each individual: Baptism, Confirmation,Eucharist, Penance,Extreme Unction, Holy Orders and Matrimony. I profess that of these Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders cannot be repeated without sacrilege.

I also accept and admit that the ritual of the Catholic Church in the solemn administration of all the above mentioned Sacraments.

I accept and hold, in each and every part, all that has been defined and declared by the Sacred Council of Trent concerning Original Sin and Justification. I profess that in the Mass is offered to God a true, real, and Propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead; that in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist is really, truly, and substantially the Body and Blood together with the Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and that there takes place what the Church calls transubstantiation, that is the change of the substance of bread into the Body and of the wine into the Blood. I confess also that in receiving under either of these species one receives Jesus Christ, whole and entire.
I firmly hold that Purgatory exists and that the souls detained there can be helped by the prayers of the faithful. Likewise I hold that the saints, who reign with Jesus Christ, should be venerated and invoked, that they offer prayers to God for us and that their relics are to be venerated.

I profess firmly that images of Jesus Christ and of the Mother of God, ever Virgin, as well as of all the saints should be given due honor and veneration. I also affirm that Jesus Christ left the Church the faculty to grant Indulgences and that their use is most salutary to the Christian people. I recognize the Holy Roman, Catholic and Apostolic Church as the mother and teacher of all the churches and I promise and swear true obedience to the Roman Pontiff, successor of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles and Vicar of Jesus Christ.

Besides, I accept, without hesitation, and profess all that has been handed down,defined, and declared by the Sacred Cannons and by the general Councils, especially by the sacred Council of Trent and by Vatican General Council, and in a special manner concerning the primacy and infallibility of the Roman Pontiff. at the same time I condemn and reprove all that the Church has condemned and reproved. This same Catholic Faith, outside of which nobody can be saved, which I freely profess and to which I truly adhere, the same I promise and swear to maintain and profess, with the help of God, entire, inviolate, and with firm constancy until the last breath of life; and I shall strive, as far as possible, that this same faith shall be held, taught, and publicly professed by all those who depend on me and help those of whom I shall have charge.

This does not obviously cover all catholic beliefs, but it gives you a framework to go off of.

Long and short is you are agreeing that there is nothing that the Church teaches that you explicitly reject. You are also in essence professing that if you learn of a belief that is in conflict with the Church that you will give submission of will to those teachings. Really what you are saying is that you hold the Church and her teachings as authoritative above yourself.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

Thanks! Is it true, though, that the Church teaches that everything in the Catechism is revealed by God? I was under the impression that** the Catechism contained a mixture of discipline, doctrine and Dogma, whereas only the latter (two?) were revealed.**

You are correct that Church disciplines are man-made. We are none the less bound by them. The Catechism also contains some scholarly pious opinion and speculation. That is a strength, not a weakness.

Are there not any authoritative sources that just plainly say, “X list is what the Church teaches to be revealed”? If there is anything in the Catechism that says that it is a list of revealed teachings, I was unaware of it.

There is apparently a demand for this that the Church should respond to. Perhaps Usige’s Profession of Faith should be updated slightly and re-published.

 

[Robyn_p]

Are there not any authoritative sources that just plainly say, “X list is what the Church teaches to be revealed”? If there is anything in the Catechism that says that it is a list of revealed teachings, I was unaware of it.

This book is basically that:

amazon.com/Fundamentals-Catholic-Dogma-Ludwig-Ott/dp/0895550091

It’s old, but in it the author lists all the official dogmas of Catholicism, when they were defined, and where they are found in Scripture and Tradition. I think that’s about as close to an official “list” of dogmas as we have right now.

Hope that helps. Congrats on being confirmed!

 

[John_Martin]

Hi all,

I intend to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this Saturday at the Easter Vigil. As part of the Sacrament I am to say that, “I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.”

Is there a list somewhere that details “all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God”? I would feel more more comfortable saying that I believe and profess such teachings if I knew what they were.

Thanks for any help,

Sapling

Did you ever trust someone so that you believed and refused to doubt everything they said?

That is what you are confessing: The “Holy Catholic Church” is a Living Person (Jesus in his Body the Church), and you are confessing, “Jesus is my Friend, my Lord, my King, my God; I trust him and so, whatever I hear him say or whatever I have heard him say or command is Truth.” Whatever word comes out of the mouth of a body originated in its mind - whatever Word proclaimed from the mouth of the Church (the Body of Christ), came from its head (Christ my Lord). “If they have believed you, they have believed me”.

So, even though you don’t yet know all the doctrine and teachings clearly, yet you are taking a very definitive and firm stance that you know WHOM you are believing and that you will not be deceived in future learning and understanding. You are taking your place at the Master’s Feet (feet are also part of his Body, the Church) and refusing to learn new contrary things from contrary feet.

 

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

Confirmation opens the door to us exercising Holy Spirit gifts in God’s “family firm”. There are various overlapping lists of gifts in Isaiah and in the Epistles.

We must beg God that we have opportunities to join with peers in studying how the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles are hung round Holy Scriptures as aide-memoires.

As newly commissioned “soldiers” we can “fight” with our intercessions for our fellows, that He will ensure they are helped to be able to accompany us on that joint journey to deepen our faith lifelong.

 

[Minion_w_a_drum]

Hi all,

I intend to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this Saturday at the Easter Vigil. As part of the Sacrament I am to say that, “I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.”

Is there a list somewhere that details “all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God”? I would feel more more comfortable saying that I believe and profess such teachings if I knew what they were.

Thanks for any help,

Sapling

I wished I would’ve seen this thread when it was originally posted, before you wer e confirmed. I assume you followed through with the confirmation? If so, I hope all goes well for you.

My reaction is IF you don’t know what you are agreeing to, you might want to reconsider. You get one chance to profess your faith in sacramental form. If, after the fact, you learn that you agreed to something that you object to, at that point it is too late. You already professed your faith sacramentally. You are now bound and obligated to believe all the church believes. and must change your way of thinking to mirror that of the church.

It is a lot like marriage. Once married, you are married. That is why marriage prep (and by the sounds of it, confirmation prep) is much too short. You get one chance at the sacrament. In my way of thinking, sacramental prep for both of these sacraments should be an rigorous and intensive training period much longer than the current requirement. I’m thinking of somewhere in the neighborhood of 12-15 years. There is just too much to learn and understand to squeeze it all in 6 months or so. Because once it is done, there is no changing it.

Just my opinion.

 

[pat]

It you want to take “all” to it its fullest meaning, then I have a book recommendation:

Denzinger “Enchridon Symbolorum definitionorum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum”
43rd edition, edited by Peter Hunerman. Published by Ignatius Press. It’s about 1400 pages.
About $47 on Amazon 978-0898707465

 

[kdbueno]

The sacrament of confirmation pre-supposes a theoretical understanding of divine law. It supposes for us that God exist by reason of eternal jurisprudence of eternal law. Hence, we must understand that the divine unity understanding sacramental theology pre-supposes a theology of true and consciential love. We cannot disgrace something that already is bestowed upon, rather our orthodoxy is that we must believe that the supposition of it regarding divine innocence is real, if not, the divine supposition is accepted.