III.

SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

The sacrament of Confirmation is described by Vatican II in terms of its two

essential characteristics: closer union with the Church, and strengthening and
empowerment by the Holy Spirit to actively spread the Faith. By the sacrament of
Confirmation, the faithful are more perfectly bound to the Church and are endowed
with the special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses to
Christ, more strictly obliged to spread the faith by word and deed (LG 11; cf. CCC
1285).

Originally what we call Confirmation was part of the developed Baptismal rite. Yet,
there is a certain scriptural basis in distinguishing the bestowal of the Holy Spirit
through water-Baptism and by the “laying on of hands.” When they heard this, they
were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. As Paul laid his hands on them,
the Holy Spirit came on them, they began to speak in tongues and to utter
prophecies (Acts 19:5f; cf. 8:14-17).

Through the centuries, because of the increasing number and size of dioceses,
parishes, and infant baptisms made it a practical impossibility for the Bishop to
confirm all, the anointing and laying on of hands were separated from water-
Baptism to form a separate sacrament. In the East it is called “Chrismation,”
meaning “anointing with chrism.”

Thus Paul VI described the origin of Confirmation in the revised rite as follows:
The Apostles, in order to accomplish the will of Christ, passed on to the neophytes,
by the laying on of hands, the gift of the Spirit which brings to completion the grace
of Baptism . . . . This laying on of hands is rightly considered by Catholic Tradition
as the origin of the sacrament of Confirmation which perpetuates in a way the
grace of Pentecost in the Church (DCN; cf. CCC 1288).

The sacrament of Confirmation is conferred by “anointing with holy Chrism on the

forehead, done while imposing the hands and by these words: ‘N., be sealed with
the Gift of the Holy Spirit’ ” (CCC 1300). In the Old Testament, anointing signified
healing, purification and strengthening, but most of all empowerment. Aaron was
anointed high priest (cf. Lv 8:12); Samuel anointed Saul and David as king (cf. 1
Sam 10:1;16:13f), and Isaiah was anointed prophet (cf. Is 61:1). Eventually,
however, the Spirit was to be communicated to the whole messianic people (cf. Ez
36:25-27; Jl 3:1-2; CCC 1286-87). In the New Testament, Christ is the “Anointed
One,” perfectly fulfilling through the power of the Holy Spirit the triple role of
Prophet, Priest and Servant-King. Hence, through Confirmation, Christians share
more fully in Christ’s prophetic, kingly and priestly roles. Through the laying on of
hands, they are claimed by Christ as his own, and empowered by the Spirit to
spread the Gospel by word and deed, and thus build up Christ’s Body, the Church.

The ordinary minister of Confirmation is the Bishop who is successor of the

apostles, with the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders. The Bishop’s
 administering demonstrates the effect of Confirmation: to unite the confirmed
more closely to the Church, to her apostolic origins, and to her mission of bearing
witness to Christ. (cf. CCC 1313). However, for grave reasons, the Bishop may
delegate to priests the faculty to administer the sacrament.

A. Effects of Confirmation
The main effect of Confirmation is to strengthen and confirm the grace of Baptism
(cf. CCC 1302-3). This means a more intense sharing in the mission of Christ and of
the Church, empowering the confirmed to be public witnesses of the Faith:
• witness to the Kingdom of God and God’s power present in the new age begun in
Christ;
• witness to Jesus the Christ, as the unique Savior of all;
• witness to the freedom from the slavery of sin brought by God’s presence through
Christ and
the Spirit;
• witness to the love of God, Father, Risen Incarnate Son, and Spirit, by loving service
of others
in the Spirit; and
• witness to Christ’s real presence in the Christian community, the People of God, the
Church.

This witness flows from the permanent “character” imprinted on those confirmed
by the Sacrament (cf. CCC 1304-5). In the Gospel of Luke, the Risen Christ
explained to the apostles that “the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead on
the third day. In his name, penance for the remission of sins is to be preached to all
the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of this. I send down upon
you the promise of my Father [the Spirit] (Lk 24:46-49). The introduction to the
Rite of Confirmation explains the origin and function of this “character,” originally
included in the baptismal ritual: Signed with the oil by the Bishop’s hand, the
baptized person receives the indelible character, the seal of the Lord, together with
the gift of the Spirit, which conforms him more closely to Christ and gives him the
grace of spreading the Lord’s presence among men (RC 9).

B. Qualities of Christian Witness

To be effective witnesses to Christ and the Church demands certain basic qualities:
• personal knowledge, awareness, and experience of Christ in their daily lives;
• strong and enthusiastic Christian convictions and active commitment to Christ and
the Church;
• a basic grounding in Scripture, Church teaching and fundamental human experience;
• the human leadership qualities of honesty and integrity that inspire confidence and
a following;
• the communication skills needed to present Christ’s challenge to the Filipino of
today in an
attractive and persuasive manner; and
• the courage to suffer and risk for the Kingdom of God.
C. Age for Confirmation
Such a description of qualities needed for confirmed Christian witness naturally
raises the pastoral question of when the sacrament of Confirmation should be
conferred. In ancient times it was given immediately after Baptism. But when
infant Baptism became the standard practice, the sacrament of Confirmation was
postponed to a later time — the age of discretion. Today there are some advocating
restoring the original unity while others wish to postpone it further to young
adulthood. Yet there are good reasons for confirming around the age of discretion
or later, as is the more common Church policy in the Philippines. The adolescents
begin to move away from childish ways and take their first steps toward a
personally chosen Faith, and begin to take an active part in Christian community
life.

More important than endless arguments among the “experts” over what age is the
best time for the administration of the sacrament is the careful preparation
needed. Both the candidates for Confirmation and their parents (as well as
godparents and sponsors) have to be prepared well if the Sacrament is to be truly
efficacious. Without such careful preparation a fruitful celebration of the
sacrament is simply not possible.

D. Confirmation’s Relation to Christ and the Church

As Jesus was shown to be the Baptized One, so here it is obvious that Christ is also
the Confirmed One in the Holy Spirit. From his conception, through his redemptive
mission of his public ministry, climaxing in his Resurrection and Ascension to his
Father, the man Jesus is constantly guided, strengthened and led by the Spirit. The
Spirit in Christ our Lord is:
• the Spirit of HOLINESS who makes present the All-Holy One;
• the Spirit of LOVE who enables his followers to love as he loves;
• the Spirit of LIFE who came that we “might have life and have it more abundantly”;
• the Spirit of POWER to fulfill the Father’s will and enable his followers to do the
same;
• the Spirit of TRUTH who sets us free; and
• the Spirit of FORGIVENESS who brings eternal salvation to the repentant.

We meet this Spirit of the Lord in his Body, the Church. Christ’s Church is the
“Confirmed Church,” the Church of the SPIRIT, precisely because of Christ’s real
presence within his Body. Pentecost affirms the active presence of the Spirit in the
Church from its inception. Viewing Confirmation in terms of Christ and the Church
helps to see it as a prayer event, a celebration making explicit what God has done
and is continuing to do with and among His People. The communal, ecclesial
dimension of Confirmation is essential; not the age of Confirmation, but the
presence of the Spirit is the true point of focus.

E. Godparents/Sponsors for Baptism and Confirmation

Faith norms for choosing godparents and sponsors. They should be:
a. sufficiently mature persons (ordinarily at least 16 years old),
b. good-living Catholics who themselves have been initiated in the three sacraments
of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist; and
c. who are capable and truly intend to help the newly baptized/confirmed to
faithfully live up to all the duties inherent in Christian life.

Today the Church recommends that the godparents at Baptism be present and
even be the sponsor at Confirmation, though it is always possible to choose a
special sponsor for Confirmation.