In this article, I describe Confirmation, one of the seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church.
What is Confirmation?
A good definition of Confirmation is given by the priest John Laux in his textbook “Mass and the Sacraments”:
“Confirmation is a sacrament by which we receive the Holy Ghost with His sevenfold gift, and are made perfect Christians and soldiers of Christ. It takes the second place in the order of the sacraments, because its object is to strengthen and complete the life of grace received in Baptism.” (p. 26)
Where is it in the Bible?
In Chapter 8 of the Acts of the Apostles, we read that Saint Peter and Saint John went to Samaria:
“Now when the apostles, who were in Jerusalem, had heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John. Who when they were come, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: For he was not yet come upon any one of them, but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 8:14-17)
This shows that the Apostles laid their hands on the baptized, who then received the Holy Spirit. It is true that one receives the Holy Spirit at Baptism as well, but Confirmation effects an increase of the Holy Spirit in the soul.
This “imposition of hands” or “laying on of hands” was universal in the early Church, as a rite after Baptism.
The effects of Confirmation
Father John Laux summarizes them like this:
“The principal effects of Confirmation may be summed up as follows:
a) As a sacrament of the living, Confirmation produces an increase of sanctifying grace.
b) The special sacramental grace of Confirmation is strength to profess our faith, and fortitude in the combat against the enemies of our salvation.
c) The indelible character which this sacrament imprints on the soul is that of soldier of Christ, who must be ready, if need be, to make the supreme sacrifice for his ‘Captain Christ.’” (p. 30)
At Confirmation, the recipient receives the gifts of the Holy Spirit:
- Wisdom
- Understanding
- Counsel
- Fortitude
- Knowledge
- Piety
- Fear of the Lord
In traditional Catholic language, Confirmation makes the recipient a “soldier of Christ”. The famous Baltimore Catechism for example, expressed it like this:
“166 Q. What is confirmation?
A. Confirmation is a sacrament through which we receive the Holy Ghost to make us strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.”
The priest Thomas Kinkead, who wrote an approved commentary, explains:
“In baptism we are made Christians, but we are not very strong in our faith till the Holy Ghost comes in confirmation. You remember how timid the apostles were before the coming of the Holy Ghost, and how firm and determined in their faith they were afterwards; and how fearlessly they preached even to those who crucified Our Lord. ‘Soldiers,’ because we must fight for our salvation against our three enemies, the devil, the world, and the flesh. Our Lord is our great leader in this warfare, and we must follow Him and fight as He directs. A soldier that fights as he pleases and not as his general commands, will surely be beaten.”
The rite of Confirmation
Traditionally, the Sacrament of Confirmation was administered like this (described by Fr. Laux):
“The bishop extends his hands over all who are to be confirmed and prays that the Holy Ghost may come down upon them. He next places his right hand on the head of each candidate and at the same time makes the Sign of the Cross with Holy Chrism upon the forehead of each one, saying: ‘I sign thee with the Sign of the Cross and I confirm thee with the Chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’ He then gives the one who has been confirmed a slight blow on the cheek, saying: ‘Peace be with thee.’ In conclusion he gives the episcopal blessing to all in common.” (p. 26-27)
Modern problems
In 1968 “Paul VI” changed the rite of Confirmation, and questionable changes were introduced.
There are two aspects to the form of the Sacrament: anointing the forehead of the recipient with chrism (holy oil) and the laying on of hands. In the new rules, the laying on of hands is optional, because “Paul VI” claimed that the anointing “in a certain way represents the apostolic laying on of hands”. (Apostolic Constitution “Divinae Consortium Naturae” on the Sacrament of Confirmation)
Also it became permitted to use other plant-based oils, not just olive oil (see e.g. here). This is seriously problematic, because this has no precedent in Church history.
The Church Fathers on Confirmation
Many Church Fathers wrote about the Sacrament of Confirmation.
“It is necessary for him that has been baptized also to be anointed, so that by his having received chrism, that is, the anointing, he can be the anointed of God and have in him the grace of Christ” (St. Cyprian, Letters 7:2 [A.D. 253]).
“[Baptism] is followed by a spiritual signing, as you have heard in the reading today; for after the font it but remains to perfect the work, when, at the invocation of the priest the Holy Spirit is poured out, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of council and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety, the spirit of holy fear” (St. Ambrose, The Sacraments 3:2:8 [A.D. 390-391]).
“After you had come up from the pool of the sacred streams, there was given chrism, the antitype of that with which Christ was anointed, and this is the Holy Spirit. But beware of supposing that this is ordinary ointment. For just as the bread of the Eucharist after the invocation of the Holy Spirit is simple bread no longer, but the body of Christ, so also this ointment is no longer plain ointment, nor, so to speak, common, after the invocation. Further, it is the gracious gift of Christ, and it is made fit for the imparting of his Godhead by the coming of the Holy Spirit. This ointment is symbolically applied to your forehead and to your other senses; while your body is anointed with the visible ointment, your soul is sanctified by the holy and life-giving Spirit. Just as Christ, after his baptism, and the coming upon him of the Holy Spirit, went forth and defeated the adversary, so also with you after holy baptism and the mystical chrism, having put on the panoply of the Holy Spirit, you are to withstand the power of the adversary and defeat him, saying, ‘I am able to do all things in Christ, who strengthens me’” (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 21:1:3–4 [A.D. 350]).