When should we be confirmed?

[St.Faustina]

*******I believe if we practice and teach our beliefs to our children, then they should be confirmed at a early age. ***
We as parents should make it our job, not only the Schooling they recieve, but what we teach them at home also. I don’t think it will change anything as to what age to be confirmed. So thank god that Catholic answers has this forum for us. We can now educate ourselves and our children.

 

[mjdonnelly]

I agree that the parents need to be responsible for educating their children, if they fail to it becomes the responsibility of the godparents. The problem is, that’s not happening. The young adults in the class I had attended church at most %50 of the time on Sundays. They have their own donation envelopes to turn in (they don’t have to put money in them) as a way to show that they are members of the church. One of them, she was very bright, was pro-choice, just like she said her mother was. We had some very good discussions in that class regarding the topic. It became embarassing for her when she said something about adoptive children not being wanted and then it came out that one of the other students was adopted.

 

[scaxter]

As a mother of six children I can’t begin to tell you how much *I desire the spiritual help of the graces that come from Confirmation for my children, *BEFORE they reach the challenging and peer-pressure years of high school. These young people are in desperate need of the “fullness of the Holy Spirit” and have the right to be full members of the Church. They are fully initiated into the Church at Confirmation. It is a continuation or completedness of the Sacrament of Baptism. The two go hand in hand. Why should they have to wait until they are nearly adults to be confirmed? [As is the case in my archdiocese].

Young people are tempted with drugs, drinking, immodesty, sex, etc. at very young ages these days, even as young as 10-11 years old. They need the sanctifying grace from Confirmation to help stay on the straight and narrow path to heaven. It is like a war zone trying to bring kids up these days, even the Catholic high schools present the same worldly temptations and evils of the secular world. I say. . .confirm them anytime *before high school years. * It could very well be too late by then, they may have already lost their soul.

 

[mjdonnelly]

I understand what you are saying. In my class we had long discussions about what was sinful and what was not. The girl I mentioned in the previous post asked in class if masturbation was sinful and why. She said some boys were talking about it at school. I didn’t just say ‘Yes it is sinful, don’t do it!’ We discussed the topic in class and was able to make them understand why it was sinful.

There is alot these young adults need to learn before high school that they are not. The syllibus (sp) we had was terrible and repetitive. I always made sure to get through the main ideas of what we were suppose to talk about, but it was too wishy-washy. The remainder of the class was spent in open discussion about recent events with the church (we even spent 2 classes on The Passion), our beliefs, and why we believed things.

I think the way the young adults are taught needs to be changed, take the rose colored glasses off things. After that, they could be confirmed at a much earlier age, depending on the maturity of the young adult.

 

[scaxter]

mjdonnelly:

I understand what you are saying. In my class we had long discussions about what was sinful and what was not. The girl I mentioned in the previous post asked in class if masturbation was sinful and why. She said some boys were talking about it at school. I didn’t just say ‘Yes it is sinful, don’t do it!’ We discussed the topic in class and was able to make them understand why it was sinful.

There is alot these young adults need to learn before high school that they are not. The syllibus (sp) we had was terrible and repetitive. I always made sure to get through the main ideas of what we were suppose to talk about, but it was too wishy-washy. The remainder of the class was spent in open discussion about recent events with the church (we even spent 2 classes on The Passion), our beliefs, and why we believed things.

I think the way the young adults are taught needs to be changed, take the rose colored glasses off things. After that, they could be confirmed at a much earlier age, depending on the maturity of the young adult.

I agree. The programs are very weak for solid Confirmation preparation. We prepare our own children at home and have found some excellent programs/books/etc. As a family, also we plan on doing service work.

Also, it is my understanding that a child is really ready for Confirmation upon spiritual maturity and has very little to do with age. The Catholic Catechism says shortly after First Holy Communion and after the age of reason, which is about 7 years old. Again, high school is way tooooooooo late for these much needed graces.

 

[thomist]

Regarding ‘MJDONNELLY’ posting re his student being woefully UNchatechized, so therefore his opinion that a “later” age is most suitable misses the whole point: Confirmation IS NOT “me making a choice to be Catholic”, nor ‘reward’ for demonstrating sufficient lnowledge of our faith, nor should the affected children be “held hostage to Grace” in order to repair the effects of insufficent / nonexistent cathechesis.

What Mike is doing catechetically is great - but that must be done regardless of whether the catechumens are confirmed or not. I always ask catechists how they think catechesis of kids from 3d through 12th grades would change IF the kids had been confirmed in infancy. They ALWAYS pause, and before they come with an answer I suggest that whatever that ‘answer’ is SHOULD be done NOW, anyway!

When a faith-deficiency is discovered in a teen, that is a graced encounter provided to us by the Holy Spirit for the sake of that teen - and we should gently inform him/her that receiving the Eucharist is THE act of “making a choice to be Catholic”, NOT receiving Confirmation. (Remember, the Sacrament of Confirmation is also something we RECEIVE, NOT something we DO.) In the situation Mike brought up, he is correct in saying she wasn’t “ready” for Confirmation - but he should ALSO tell her she is NOT READY for Eucharist, either. Confirmation is like a vaccination: a vaccination strengthens the body to resist physical diseases, Confirmation strengthens the soul to resist ‘faith-disorders’. As such, just like with vaccinations, it should be given as early as possible. Seriously, now, would anyone suggest withholding vaccinations against deadly diseases until the child ‘could make his/her OWN CHOICE for good health’!???
No, because - as history and undeveloped parts of the planet now show, doing so results in a lot of needless deaths. Similarly, not ‘en-gracing’ our children with this wonderful Sacrament early results in what rel. ed. mavens call “normal attrition” away from the faith WAAAYYYY before Mike or I ever see them as teens / young adults.

 

[mjdonnelly]

Thomist, after reading through your post I see your point and agree with it. I would support an earlier Confirmation as long as I was the teacher in the year before the students being confirmed. I just think there needs to be changes to way the young adults are taught and I know I made a difference in their lives.

Another point, if all of them were Confirmed at Baptism, as is practiced in the Eastern Rite, I doubt we would see much of them in religious education classes. I don’t have enough faith in most of their parents to make them continue classes if there wasn’t a carrot dangling in front of them.

 

[thomist]

Mike:
“Another point, if all of them were Confirmed at Baptism, as is practiced in the Eastern Rite, I doubt we would see much of them in religious education classes. I don’t have enough faith in most of their parents to make them continue classes if there wasn’t a carrot dangling in front of them.”

True enough - but that is ALL THE MORE reason for giving them God’s grace early. Those we wouldn’t see we already don’t see. And I can tell you from my own sorrowful experience (tragically, I wasn’t Confirmed 'til almost 30) that the grace given in Confirmation is critical!! While I support good, effective, age-appropriate catechesis (throughout life, actually!) AND both love teaching and am a very good catechist, delaying this grace puts too much emphasis on us and what we do, as if we’re saying that God’s grace won’t “take” unless WE prepare them.

I think this whole, nationwide emphasis on gearing all catechesis from grade 3 up upon receipt of a baby Sacrament is missing the point of catechesis, and boring to the catechumens.

Keep up the Lord’s good work, bro’!
In Jesus

 

[spetreopn]

Am I missing something? There are quite a few people who are advocating that the Sacrament of Confirmation be conferred in high school, but I still do not see any theological grounds for this practice. In fact, theologically speaking, it seems that the earlier one is confirmed, the better. Those of you, who advocate that the Sacrament of Confirmation be conferred in high school, please elucidate your position.

 

[tractarian]

spetreopn:

Am I missing something? There are quite a few people who are advocating that the Sacrament of Confirmation be conferred in high school, but I still do not see any theological grounds for this practice. In fact, theologically speaking, it seems that the earlier one is confirmed, the better. Those of you, who advocate that the Sacrament of Confirmation be conferred in high school, please elucidate your position.

I don’t think that this is really a theological question, it’s a personal one. Knowing what we do about human (and especially adolescent) nature, what age for Confirmation is most beneficial to the faithful? I voted for high school because i know a lot of Catholics who were confirmed earlier, most of them now non-practicing. I have even heard from a few people that s/he later in life resented what they see as having been pushed into making that commitment at such an early age. All the sacraments are primarily about the reception of grace however Confirmation is also about making a commitment to the faith (at least that’s what my RCIA class and the Bishop said). If someone feels they made that commitment when they were too young to fully understand it, that person will all the less willing to make a genuine, adult step towards returning to the faith after a lapse.

 

[spetreopn]

tractarian:

I don’t think that this is really a theological question, it’s a personal one. Knowing what we do about human (and especially adolescent) nature, what age for Confirmation is most beneficial to the faithful? I voted for high school because i know a lot of Catholics who were confirmed earlier, most of them now non-practicing. I have even heard from a few people that s/he later in life resented what they see as having been pushed into making that commitment at such an early age. All the sacraments are primarily about the reception of grace however Confirmation is also about making a commitment to the faith (at least that’s what my RCIA class and the Bishop said). If someone feels they made that commitment when they were too young to fully understand it, that person will all the less willing to make a genuine, adult step towards returning to the faith after a lapse.

This is a theological question. We are talking about an extraordinary grace being bestowed upon someone. We see from the Byzantine Rite (and even from the Latin Rite in cases of necessity) that the sacrament of Confirmation can be conferred before the age of reason. This means that the much-emphasized notion of a coming of age, or of making a commitment to the faith is erroneous as a notion of the nature of the Sacrament. How do you expect someone to commit to the faith if you are willfully withholding grace from him? Your commitment to the faith is made everyday, when you choose to sin or not. You commit to the faith when you receive the Eucharist.

There are theological reasons for conferring the Sacrament earlier, but only social reasons (at best) for delaying the Sacrament.

 

[space_ghost]

With Baptism…

the Church Fathers and early Christian writers also recognized confirmation as a sacrament distinct from baptism, even though it was usually given simultaneously with baptism

The African Code

“[T]he former council . . . decreed, as your unanimity remembers as well as I do, that those who as children were baptized by the Donatists, and not yet being able to know the pernicious character of their error, and afterward when they had come to the use of reason, had received the knowledge of the truth, abhorred their former error, and were received in accordance with the ancient order by the imposition of the hand, into the Catholic Church of God spread throughout the world” (Canon 57[61] [A.D. 419]).

Interesting…

 

[robertaf]

Greetings Church

Greetings Spetreopn

Here is the reason I like Confirmation at a little older age.

When an infant is Baptised, the parents, God parents and even the Church community make promises for the infant. Baptism gives the Power of the Holy Spirit. That is going to bless that child throughout his/her life and surely up until the time of Confirmation.
Give this some thought. John the Baptist received the Holy Spirit while still in his mothers womb. Look at the Power he received. Nothing was lacking and he faced death with that Power supporting him. Back then, no Confirmation but the same Holy Spirit we all receive in Baptism.
At Confirmation, the Baptized person can now make their own promises. Many of you say 7 yrs old is the age of reason. Well, it is possible my sons and my present grandsons were and is lacking somewhere but they aren’t anywhere near what I would call Spiritually mature. They simply are not ready to make these kinds of promises or committments.
That was also the opinion of our Bishop when I was teaching Confirmation classes. It does not appear to be the opinion of my present Bishop. Our kids are being confirmed at First Communion age.

 

[KCT]

NM2:

When did the US switch to eighth grade, and why? I was confirmed in the fifth grade in 1969, as was my brother in 1970, but I know it has been eighth grade for at least several years.

In our diocese, it seems parishes vary. Our parish has kids getting confirmed in the fall of 10th grade. Way too late in my opinion. I think kids need the grace of the sacrament before they go to high school. —KCT

 

[KCT]

spetreopn:

Am I missing something? There are quite a few people who are advocating that the Sacrament of Confirmation be conferred in high school, but I still do not see any theological grounds for this practice. In fact, theologically speaking, it seems that the earlier one is confirmed, the better. Those of you, who advocate that the Sacrament of Confirmation be conferred in high school, please elucidate your position.

I think there are lots of misunderstandings about what Confirmation is. (not necessarily here, but in general) Our parish pushes the idea that the kids are “confirming their faith” . . . making their own decision to be Catholic. It’s the action of the Holy Spirit, not a decision the kid makes! They might decide to attend the program, but after that’s it’s the Holy Spirit, not the student. —KCT

 

[scaxter]

a pilgrim:

I fear that, over the years, we may have taken this Sacrament and used it as a “bargaining chip” with which to get our children to pay more attention to their religious life. The community service and the essays and the R.E. classes are all fine… but perhaps if we were to ensure these children already had the Holy Spirit working within them by not withholding this very important Sacrament until they’ve somehow proven themselves either by age or by action, perhaps the magnificent grace of this Sacrament will have already “done its job.” Perhaps the years from infancy through the teens is precisely the period in which our Catholic children most need the Spirit to be at work within them through this Sacrament. I feel that it’s wrong to withhold this very powerful grace from our children until they’ve, say, sat down and (begrudgingly, in many cases) written a letter to their bishop or helped out at a soup kitchen.

Again I stress - these acts are all highly commendable activities that, as followers of Christ, we would hope that all kids would want to do anyway. Maybe if they already had the strengthening grace of the Holy Spirit working within them through the Sacrament of Confirmation, well, maybe we’d find them somehow more receptive to giving of themselves as true Christians should.

a pilgrim

You are so right.

 

[SMHW]

Wow!

I think that the fact that there are so many opinions just reflects the same problems that the Bishops have in deciding when to confer the sacrament.

If I am not mistaken, ‘Confirmation’ is a word that is only used in the Western Church and it reflects the idea that the receipient is an adult. Doesn’t the Eastern Church refer to it as Chrisming or some similar term?

Ideally Confirmation should be administered with Baptism. Ideally Confirmation should be administered to adults. Ideally, first Euchararist should follow Confirmation. It is important that infants be baptized. Uh oh. There just is no good solution to this.

So the Western Church came up with an imperfect solution: separate the sacraments of initiation from each other. So we baptize babies, offer Holy Communion to those who reach the age of reason, and confirm those we think are old enough to make a life long committment to the Faith.

In my parish, anyone who has reached the age of reason (approximately age 7) and will be received into the Church via Baptism, also is Confirmed and receives his/her First Communion. Anyone who is baptized prior to the age of reason will be confirmed after completing a two year program in High School (usually in the 10th grade.)

 

[thisnthat]

spetreopn:

I am glad that your son’s Confirmation had a lot of meaning to him. The emotional aspect is not necessarily a good thing. The emotions are often not in accord with the reality at hand. There are a number of factors in the Sacrament that can cause an emotional response: being before the bishop, standing before the entire congregation, going through a big event. Any reaction to the Sacrament needs to be based upon a knowledge that a great grace is being bestowed. Don’t think that I am attacking your son. All I am saying is that this does not seem to be a good justification for receiving the Sacrament later.

The grace of the Sacrament is independent of a full understanding of the Sacrament. Did you have an ability to fully understand the Eucharist when you received it? If anything, the Eucharist far more difficult to understand than Confirmation. Should we wait till we are older to receive the Eucharist?

I would like to hear theological justifications for the ages being suggested.

While it is true that I did not fully understand the Eucharist at age 7 when I received it, I did understand that it was a gift from God that I could receive often; for a 7 year old in a practicing Catholic family that is a good place to start and to grow in understanding.

I consider the sacrament of Confirmation to be a gift as well as a call to action. One cannot “fill the job” if one doesn’t understand what is being asked. Granted, at 16, I’m sure he doesn’t understand everything, but he understands quite a lot and is doing things with his faith (specifically in the public school he attends, in our parish, and in the community). I credit his religious ed. teacher at our parish, our pastor, as well as the preparation we’ve done at home to ensure this sacrament held more meaning, more of a call to response-ability, for him than it did for my husband and me. For these reasons, I feel it is best to be confirmed while in high school. Just my opinion, however.

 

[scaxter]

Confirmation seems to be one of the most misunderstood sacraments by so many Catholics. In our Archdiocese there is a very respectful petition going around in order to get the confirmation age changed from a junior in high school by that time they are almost done with some of the most challenging and tempting years in the life of these young people] back to a more reasonable age, sometime BEFORE high school. We are going to send the petition signatures to our Archbishop, who used to confirm in the 8th grade in his previous diocese.

Confirmation has nothing to do with the physical age of a person, rather the spiritual maturity/adulthood of a young person. There have been many spiritual mature children in the history of the Church such as St. Tarcisius, Joan of Arc, St. Gerard, Maria Goretti, the children of Fatima–Jacinta and Francisco, St. Alphonsus, etc.

Confirmation is a freely given gift of grace by the Holy Spirit, and the ONLY requirement necessary for anyone to be confirmed is that they be *baptized *first. In the early Church Confirmation was administered immediately right after the infants baptism. The only reason it changed was because as the Church grew, the bishops couldn’t be at every infant baptism.

The gift of grace by the Holy Spirit is to STRENGTHEN US. It prepares us to be those strong soldiers of Christ, to defend his Church, to live a holy life. So many young people are far more ready for this responsibility and grace way before they reach high school years, and possibly are even more open to it than a high schooler who is more concerned with “the ways of the world.” Much damage is already done by junior year in high school.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that Confirmation should be administered around the age of reason. The age of reason??? The age of reason is seven or so years old!!! Can it be put off until later so the kids can be taught more about Confirmation? Sure, but why put off much needed sanctifying grace? Our knowledge of our Faith is a constant and ongoing process and journey. Confirmation strengthens us to grow in the Faith, and the Faith to grow in us by way of grace. It gives full Christian initiation into the Church and the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It affirms and completes Baptism. Why deny this to our children. “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them.” Children often times are trying to deal with temptations of drugs, sex, drinking, peer pressure, etc. as early as 11 or 12 years old. They need the grace of ALL the sacraments of Christian inititation–Baptism, the Eucharist, AND Confirmation.

 

[asquared]

If we believe what we preach that the sacraments are efficacious signs and truly bring about what the words and actions signify, then there is no justification for delaying the sacraments of initiation. If infant baptism is valid, and if full initiation consists of baptism, confirmation and Eucharist, then all 3 should be conferred at the same time, in infancy, and certainly not delayed much beyond the age of reason. Repeat, the Holy Spirit prepares us to receive the sacramental graces, the catechist (assisting the parents) teaches, models and passes on the doctrines of the faith. St. Paul was aghast to find some who had received baptism without the Holy Spirit (confirmation) and wasted no time completing their initiation. They didn’t have to sit through any stupid Lifeteen liturgies or games to qualify, either.