Should the Confirmation age be lowered?

[jmcrae]

None of the above.

For infants, baptism and confirmation together, Eucharist at the age of reason (with reconciliation before first communion)

I agree with this.

For “coming of age(s)” we should create a custom of having a gathering of the young people with the Bishop at each milestone, using the same Q/A pop quiz that he currently uses for Confirmation ceremonies, to bless them on their way to the next milestone in life, where they reaffirm their Catholic faith and pray for the gift of perseverance.

Grade 6 (end of physical childhood), Grade 9 (driver’s license and first part time job), Grade 12 (leaving home), and college graduation (entering the full time work force) seem like appropriate milestone years to have this happen, and we could institute a series of special Catechism classes for the six or seven weeks leading up to the ceremony where the young people would focus on growing in the understanding of their faith in a more intense way than just the regular religion classes in school.

I’m thinking the whole Diocese could come together for one ceremony, to lighten the load for the Bishop, and to make it more exciting for the kids.

Job opportunities in the Catholic system could be tied to one’s completion of these ceremonies, in addition to being a fully initiated Catholic, if motivation were needed to complete these ceremonies. But the “everyone else is doing it Mom, and I’d get to wear nice clothes, and the Bishop is coming - oh yeah, and there’s food after” would probably seal the deal for most families.

 

[Elizium23]

There is a Q/A pop quiz at Confirmation ceremonies? How inappropriate!

 

[jmcrae]

There is a Q/A pop quiz at Confirmation ceremonies? How inappropriate!

How else does he ensure that the students have been prepared, unless you want him to teach all of the classes himself?

 

[maryjk]

They’re not making any choice anyway. They’ve been baptized which means they’re still Catholic. Skipping confirmation doesn’t take away their Catholicism any more than skipping elections when they are older would take away their citizenship. It simply means they are not fully initiated Catholics and there’s no benefit to that.

Which is why I said I agreed with Cider.

The second part of my post was stating that IF we wait until they are teens, then we may as well wait until they really understand what they are doing.

I think we should Confirm our babies.

 

[markomalley]

The age of reason for Confirmation varies from diocese. In some dioceses, people are Confirmed at age 18. Others, at age 8. Should the Western Church return to the practice of Confirming babies, or should we just have children Confirmed before they receive their First Communion at age 7-8? Or, is the practice just fine the way it is?

Children, in my opinion, should receive Confirmation when they turn the age of reason, so they have the ability to better resist temptation for sins they are now culpable for.

You opinions, please?

God bless you.

I would be a fan of giving all three sacraments of initiation to babies…just as in the Eastern Church. Each of the sacraments imparts grace…and that grace is needed immediately.

 

[babochka]

How else does he ensure that the students have been prepared, unless you want him to teach all of the classes himself?

I don’t think that a token question and answer session, perhaps several questions asked of random students or one question per student, can give the bishop and adequate assurance of their preparation. He has to rely on the assessment of the priest, who largely relies on the assessment of the catechist.

 

[jmcrae]

I don’t think that a token question and answer session, perhaps several questions asked of random students or one question per student, can give the bishop and adequate assurance of their preparation. He has to rely on the assessment of the priest, who largely relies on the assessment of the catechist.

I think he can distinguish between a group of kids where they’re all sitting on their hands and not making eye contact, and a group of kids where they all enthusiastically shout out the correct answers in chorus.

 

[babochka]

I think he can distinguish between a group of kids where they’re all sitting on their hands and not making eye contact, and a group of kids where they all enthusiastically shout out the correct answers in chorus.

Yeah, what’s he going to do on the evening of their Confirmation, in the middle of Mass? Announce that their lack of enthusiasm has led him to believe that they, as a group, are not prepared for the sacrament and that he is going to return at a later date? For that matter, if a candidate answers a question wrong or fails to answer at all, will he deny that person confirmation? I don’t have a problem with pop quizzes happening and I’ve seen it happen, but it really isn’t for the bishop to determine the readiness of the kids. It is more to engage the kids.

 

[KCT]

I think kids need the grace of the sacrament before high school.

That being said, I have no problem with restored order, if education about the sacraments has taken place.

I am curious to know, in dioceses that have gone to restored order, how they educated parents and kids…about why they changed it and what it means.

 

[jmcrae]

Yeah, what’s he going to do on the evening of their Confirmation, in the middle of Mass? Announce that their lack of enthusiasm has led him to believe that they, as a group, are not prepared for the sacrament and that he is going to return at a later date? For that matter, if a candidate answers a question wrong or fails to answer at all, will he deny that person confirmation?

No, of course not. But he can take a look at what programs are being used in the parishes, and recommend changes when he thinks it’s necessary.

 

[UncleBill]

The OP didn’t ask about Eucharist.

Since you brought it up, however, my personal opinion that small children need to be both strengthened by Confirmation and fed with the Eucharist, according to the ancient practice.

Sadly, I think much cleansing is necessary before we can approach that.

Since the Latin practice is to connect Confirmation with the Bishop, we would need either many more bishops, many fewer Catholics or a shift in sacramental theology to attain this.

No you wouldn’t…do what the East did…the blessing of the chrism is reserved to the bishop…all priests are delegated to Chrismate/Confirm.

 

[UncleBill]

I don’t think that a token question and answer session, perhaps several questions asked of random students or one question per student, can give the bishop and adequate assurance of their preparation. He has to rely on the assessment of the priest, who largely relies on the assessment of the catechist.

As far as I’m aware this had always been the case in the Western Church…the Bishop Questions before her Confirms…I wad confirmed long before Vatican II and that’s how things were done them…you better have learned your Baltimore Catechism.

 

[jmcrae]

As far as I’m aware this had always been the case in the Western Church…the Bishop Questions before her Confirms…I wad confirmed long before Vatican II and that’s how things were done them…you better have learned your Baltimore Catechism.

Thanks for the back-up. My Bishop is very old-fashioned.

 

[GRATEFULONEjim]

…The second part of my post was stating that IF we wait until they are teens, then we may as well wait until they really understand what they are doing…

The CCC states:

1309 Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit - his actions, his gifts, and his biddings - in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish community. The latter bears special responsibility for the preparation of confirmands

This is why a person needs to be at a certain maturity level. These decisions cannot be truly understood by children under the age of 16. They have not had adequate time to learn and understand the faith.

 

[babochka]

The CCC states:

1309 Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit - his actions, his gifts, and his biddings - in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish community. The latter bears special responsibility for the preparation of confirmands

This is why a person needs to be at a certain maturity level. These decisions cannot be truly understood by children under the age of 16. They have not had adequate time to learn and understand the faith.

You don’t think a child of 7 or 8 is capable of this? Yet, we judge that they are capable of understanding the mysteries of the Eucharist. We can only expect understanding in accordance with the age of the child. If a child is younger, then we expect knowledge and understanding appropriate to his age. I recommend the book “The Religious Potential of the Child” by Sofia Cavaletti to get a good picture of just how much understanding even very young children are capable of, if we only give them the proper assistance and training.

 

[SonCatcher]

No you wouldn’t…do what the East did…the blessing of the chrism is reserved to the bishop…all priests are delegated to Chrismate/Confirm.

That is why I wrote that the West would need a “shift in sacramental theology.” The priest is not the ordinary minister of Confirmation in the West. If the other things did not happen,then the West would have to change in our understanding of the practice of the sacrament. It isn’t something that could be changed on a whim.

 

[babochka]

That is why I wrote that the West would need a “shift in sacramental theology.” The priest is not the ordinary minister of Confirmation in the West. If the other things did not happen,then the West would have to change in our understanding of the practice of the sacrament. It isn’t something that could be changed on a whim.

Why would a shift need to take place? In current practice, which presumably is in keeping with current theology, the Bishop already delegates Confirmation to the priest in the case of adults and older children coming into the church. Also, in the case of an emergency, the priest can and does confirm a child of any age. The Bishop would just be delegating most confirmations to the priest, instead of just some of them. The change would only be in practice, not theology.

 

[jmcrae]

Why would a shift need to take place? In current practice, which presumably is in keeping with current theology, the Bishop already delegates Confirmation to the priest in the case of adults and older children coming into the church.

It’s not “carte blanche,” though, other than at the Easter Vigil. If he wants to Confirm adults and older children outside of the Easter Vigil, he has to submit the name(s) and the date that he wants to celebrate the Confirmation ceremony to the Bishop, and give the reason why the people were not accepted at the last Easter Vigil, or why they can’t wait for the next one. The Bishop then makes the decision whether to permit it.

 

[DarkLight]

How else does he ensure that the students have been prepared, unless you want him to teach all of the classes himself?

Having watched our bishop do it, I’m pretty sure the Q&A session was a sneaky way for him to give the adults a mini lesson on basic doctrine. There are, after all, a lot of Catholics who will come to church for their kid’s confirmation but not a whole lot else.

 

[Brendan_64]

I would be a fan of giving all three sacraments of initiation to babies…just as in the Eastern Church. Each of the sacraments imparts grace…and that grace is needed immediately.

I’d agree with all of that.

In the UK there is always plenty of children at their first Holy Communion, but by the time it gets to a few years later when Confirmation takes place (around 14 or 15) you’re lucky if you get half the number. There is also a high percentage of those who have been Baptised Catholic who don’t do their first Holy Communion.

Do it as early as possible and do it all at once. It’s not about individuals making an ‘informed choice.’ These are gifts from God.

Priests already have faculties to Confirm adult converts, and in other circumstances the bishop can grant the faculty to the priest simply by ringing him up and granting him the faculty, that’s all the bishop needs to do. Scripturally, I can’t see any compelling reason why this faculty should lie with the bishop rather than with priests.