They almost didn't get confirmed!

[PhilotheaZ]

I just got back from the Easter Vigil Mass. It was beautiful!

Two adults were baptized, one of whom I have been instructing in RCIA for the past year (the other was in the Spanish-speaking RCIA program). I was so proud of them!

The main celebrant was a retired Monsignor who assists at our parishes; our pastor concelebrated.

After Mass, as the last members of the congregation were leaving, Monsignor signaled for the two newly baptized (and supposedly confirmed) adults and their sponsors to return to him. Apparently someone had given him the wrong oil for Confirmation; in retrospect he thought it didn’t have the fragrance of Chrism. He thought the validity of the sacrament was doubtful (valid matter matters), so he located the right oil, explained what had happened, let them smell the Chrism, and re-did the essential part of the rite of Confirmation.

Good catch, Monsignor! I’m glad he was on the ball. He’s a gem, one of my favorite priests.

 

[damooster]

I just got back from the Easter Vigil Mass. It was beautiful!

Two adults were baptized, one of whom I have been instructing in RCIA for the past year (the other was in the Spanish-speaking RCIA program). I was so proud of them!

The main celebrant was a retired Monsignor who assists at our parishes; our pastor concelebrated.

After Mass, as the last members of the congregation were leaving, Monsignor signaled for the two newly baptized (and supposedly confirmed) adults and their sponsors to return to him. Apparently someone had given him the wrong oil for Confirmation; in retrospect he thought it didn’t have the fragrance of Chrism. He thought the validity of the sacrament was doubtful (valid matter matters), so he located the right oil, explained what had happened, let them smell the Chrism, and re-did the essential part of the rite of Confirmation.

Good catch, Monsignor! I’m glad he was on the ball. He’s a gem, one of my favorite priests.

Wow, that was a good catch. What if no one had caught it? Would their Confirmations be invalid?

It makes me wonder if I got the right oil myself this evening!

 

[agapewolf]

I was at a parish where the pastor had the beginning of alzheimers and forgot to actually confirm them.

He did after mass, but then they called the chancery to make sure that the confirmation was valid…

because the priest only has the faculties to confirm DURING the vigil mass, not after it.

Might want to check on that.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Wow, that was a good catch. What if no one had caught it? Would their Confirmations be invalid?

It makes me wonder if I got the right oil myself this evening!

Doubtful is the correct term. It is generally thought that the laying on of hands not the oil is the essential Matter of the Sacrament. To do what he did however brings up other questions. He can’t simply re-celebrate the Sacrament unless he is certain it was not valid and I have never heard of a conditional Confirmation?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I was at a parish where the pastor had the beginning of alzheimers and forgot to actually confirm them.

He did after mass, but then they called the chancery to make sure that the confirmation was valid…

because the priest only has the faculties to confirm DURING the vigil mass, not after it.

Might want to check on that.

Generally speaking the pastor is given permission to Confirm an already Baptized candidate by the Bishop and it has no specific time that this must take place. He is given the faculties by law to Confirm those he has Baptized as adults, again within a reasonable time of the Baptism. If this had happened the next day or the next week I would question it.

 

[kathrynsue]

I am not catholic but i think it would had counted cause if he didnt noticed he used the wrong stuff no one else would so they would had assuemd he did which would not have shown a problem

 

[Shin]

I just got back from the Easter Vigil Mass. It was beautiful!

Two adults were baptized, one of whom I have been instructing in RCIA for the past year (the other was in the Spanish-speaking RCIA program). I was so proud of them!

The main celebrant was a retired Monsignor who assists at our parishes; our pastor concelebrated.

After Mass, as the last members of the congregation were leaving, Monsignor signaled for the two newly baptized (and supposedly confirmed) adults and their sponsors to return to him. Apparently someone had given him the wrong oil for Confirmation; in retrospect he thought it didn’t have the fragrance of Chrism. He thought the validity of the sacrament was doubtful (valid matter matters), so he located the right oil, explained what had happened, let them smell the Chrism, and re-did the essential part of the rite of Confirmation.

Good catch, Monsignor! I’m glad he was on the ball. He’s a gem, one of my favorite priests.

Good catch indeed! Blessed day!

From what I have read there’s debate over the essential matter of the sacrament, but that St. Thomas holds it is the chrism (and that some Easterns omit the imposition of hands entirely and use only chrism so it would seem to be settled by this).

 

[Joe_Kelley]

We had the same problem a couple of years ago. However, the celebrant noticed the lack of odor when he opened the flask, and immediately checked the others to find the right one.

 

[allhers]

I am not catholic but i think it would had counted cause if he didnt noticed he used the wrong stuff no one else would so they would had assuemd he did which would not have shown a problem

Well it really doesn’t matter if others had noticed or not, we are dealing with a Sacrament here and proper form and matter is what matters.

Since you aren’t Catholic you probably don’t understand that but fortunately the Msgr. did.