Validity of my Confirmation?

[Optimus_Prime]

When I was confirmed as a teen (I am 43 now) I was a committed Evangelical in belief but still going to Mass for my mother’s sake. I recieved confirmation but remember actively disbelieving that I was actually recieving anything because I thought I already was full of the Holy Spirit. I vaguely remember even having an arrogant disbelief during the actual confirmation that the Bishop was effecting anything.

My priest thinks that because I believed in Jesus that my ignorance did not invalidate my confirmation. I am certainly was ignorant but may have been inwardly hostile to the idea of the sacrament effecting something I knew I already had by faith. I reverted five years ago but it bothers me that I may have invalidated the sacrament by wrong intention and therefore need a conditional confirmation. The thought that I may not have the fullness of the Holy Spirit relly bothers me.

Thoughts?

 

[1ke]

You were not the one doing the confirming, the Bishop was.

Your confirmation was valid.

 

[Optimus_Prime]

You were not the one doing the confirming, the Bishop was.

Your confirmation was valid.

Thanks, ke.

I had thought of that but since it is a Sacrament of Initiation, like Baptism, which I
I know could be invalid if someone of the age of reason recieved it but did actually believe in it’s efficacy and may later need a conditional baptism, how is thi different?

 

[1ke]

Thanks, ke.

I had thought of that but since it is a Sacrament of Initiation, like Baptism, which I
I know could be invalid if someone of the age of reason recieved it but did actually believe in it’s efficacy and may later need a conditional baptism, how is thi different?

One receiving baptism must manifest intent to be baptized. That is evident because they present themselves to be baptized.

There is no requirement that they “actually believe in the efficacy”.

 

[CRUSADER_KING]

Yes, your Confirmation was valid; however, you did not receive the graces from Confirmation until you believed the Catholic faith again.

 

[Casilda]

When I was confirmed as a teen (I am 43 now) I was a committed Evangelical in belief but still going to Mass for my mother’s sake. I recieved confirmation but remember actively disbelieving that I was actually recieving anything because I thought I already was full of the Holy Spirit. I vaguely remember even having an arrogant disbelief during the actual confirmation that the Bishop was effecting anything.

My priest thinks that because I believed in Jesus that my ignorance did not invalidate my confirmation. I am certainly was ignorant but may have been inwardly hostile to the idea of the sacrament effecting something I knew I already had by faith. I reverted five years ago but it bothers me that I may have invalidated the sacrament by wrong intention and therefore need a conditional confirmation. The thought that I may not have the fullness of the Holy Spirit relly bothers me.

Thoughts?

Thoughts? In our Eastern Catholic church infants receive the chrism of confirmation right after baptism, so they are sealed from the get go, no reliance on belief or not.

You said you thought you already were filled with Holy Spirit at the time and thus not receiving anything. Interesting. Though I am a cradle Roman Catholic, my parents left the church when I was 9, and I was not confirmed until I reverted last year. Yet, I also believed I was filled with the Holy Spirit my entire life because I was baptized and received first Holy Communion and spoke and prayed in tongues, and other evidences of the gifts of the spirit. So when I was actually confirmed with chrism, something I had at one time eagerly anticipated, I have wondered if I really needed that. I personally believe the Lord confirms those He chooses, not just those fortunate infants or reluctant teenagers but true believers that seek Him with all their heart, mind and soul.