The Sacrament of Confirmation
Short Introduction
Confirmation is the sacrament through which those already baptized receive the Holy Ghost in a
special way, to make them strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ. It completes
the grace begun in Baptism, strengthening the soul to profess and defend the Faith openly, without
fear of the world. The Apostles themselves received this outpouring of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost,
and afterward conferred it upon the newly baptized by the laying on of hands, as recorded in the
Acts of the Apostles (Acts 8:14-17).
Full Explanation
What Confirmation Is
The Catechism defines Confirmation as the sacrament through which the Holy Ghost comes to us
in a special manner and enables us to profess our faith as strong and perfect Christians and soldiers
of Jesus Christ. Where Baptism gives the soul its supernatural birth, Confirmation, as St. Thomas
Aquinas explains in the Summa Theologica, brings that soul to spiritual maturity, just as natural
growth brings a child to the strength of an adult. For this reason the Fathers and theologians of
the Church have long likened Confirmation to a spiritual coming-of-age, in which the Christian,
already a child of God through Baptism, is now equipped to fight courageously for the Faith.
Matter and Form
The Catechism explains that the matter of Confirmation consists of the anointing with Sacred
Chrism (olive oil mixed with balsam, blessed by a bishop) together with the laying on of the
bishop’s hand, while the form is the words spoken as the Chrism is applied: “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.” The ordinary minister of Confirmation is a bishop, since
the sacrament was reserved from ancient times to the successors of the Apostles; only in certain
circumstances, and by special delegation, may a priest confirm.
The Sign of the Cross on the Forehead
The bishop anoints the candidate on the forehead, the seat of shame and human respect, signifying
that the Christian must never be ashamed to profess the Faith openly, even before those who mock
or oppose it. Traditionally, the bishop gives the candidate a light blow on the cheek (the alapa),
a ceremonial gesture recalling that the Christian must be ready to suffer anything, even hardship,
for the sake of Christ.
The Effects of Confirmation
According to The Catechism, this sacrament:
- Increases sanctifying grace, confirming and perfecting the grace received in Baptism.
- Imprints a second indelible character on the soul, distinct from that of Baptism, for which
reason Confirmation, like Baptism, can never be repeated. - Gives the special grace, and the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost — Wisdom, Understanding,
Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord — to strengthen the soul. - Gives the courage to profess and defend the Faith bravely, even at the cost of great sacrifice,
making the confirmed Christian, in the traditional phrase, a “soldier of Christ.”
The Necessity of Confirmation
While the old catechisms teach that Confirmation is not, strictly speaking, necessary for salvation
in the same absolute way as Baptism, they insist it is gravely important and should not be ne-
glected, since it supplies graces essential for living the Christian life courageously in a hostile world.
The faithful were traditionally urged to receive Confirmation as soon as reasonably possible after
reaching the age of reason and being properly instructed.
Requirements for the Candidate
The Catechism and the manuals of moral theology specify that a candidate for Confirmation should:
- Be baptized.
- Have attained the use of reason and be sufficiently instructed in the truths of the Faith
appropriate to the sacrament. - Be in the state of grace, having gone to Confession beforehand if there is any doubt of mortal
sin. - Have a Confirmation sponsor and, traditionally, take the name of a saint as a patron and
model.
The Responsibilities of Sponsors
Just as Baptism requires godparents, Confirmation requires a sponsor, whose duties parallel those
undertaken at the font:
- The sponsor must be a practicing, confirmed Catholic, of suitable age and under-
standing, who is not the candidate’s own parent. - The sponsor presents the candidate to the bishop, placing a hand upon the candidate’s
shoulder as a sign of the spiritual support being pledged. - The sponsor undertakes to help the candidate live as a “soldier of Christ,” encour-
aging fidelity to the Faith, especially if parents should fail in this duty. - Traditionally, one man serves as sponsor for a boy and one woman for a girl,
echoing the same spiritual kinship established at Baptism, and for this reason it was long
customary (though not strictly required in every case) for the baptismal godparent to serve
again as Confirmation sponsor. - Parents must continue to foster the graces of Confirmation after the ceremony,
encouraging their children toward a mature, courageous, and public practice of the Faith as
they grow.
Sources referenced: The Catechism; the decrees of the Council of Trent on Confirmation; the 1917
Code of Canon Law; St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica.