Some of the motivations for a later age for confirmation a way for engaging teenagers, an opportunity for personal ownership of one's faith, a sacrament that requires sufficient biological maturity are found wanting as one takes a close look at them in light of the history, the theology, and the recent Magisterium on the sacraments of initiation. The question raised by Pope Benedict XVI concerning the difference in practices of the east and the west and which practice truly helps to put the Eucharist at the center of initiation is an important area of study and reflection. It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace.17. Taking personal responsibility for one's Catholic faith is something that is a habitual choice made by grace. To better understand our present practice, it is important to retrace our steps along the path of historical development. The norm in the diocese was sophomore year of high school. The Confirmation Ceremony One of the objects included in the Time Capsule of Temple De Hirsch was the program from the 1901 Ceremony of Confirmation. This claim led to a gradual increase in the age of the confirmand to 16 or 17 in order that the childs education would be prolonged and to emphasize the independence of the confirmation from the traditional bar mitzvah. 21 Elberti, S.J., "Witness of Christ in the Spirit" 65. Catholic Confirmation Explained - About Catholics Interesting to note is in France, during the mid-1700s, it was decided by a local ordinary that young people be confirmed only after they had received first Eucharist. The restored ancient order is clearly stated in the presentation and order of the sacraments of initiation.29 The age of reason is given as the historical standard for the age of confirmation, and it is strongly stated that even the youngest in danger of death is to receive the sacrament of confirmation and not depart this world without having been perfected by the Holy Spirit with the gift of Christ's fullness.30 In 1997, the General Directory for Catechesis was published. The rise of the confirmation demonstrates the influence of Protestant definitions of religion on Jewish thought. 2 In 2005, Bishop Thomas Olmstead in the Diocese of Phoenix restored the order of the Sacraments of Initiation for Catholic children baptized as infants, following a similar pattern. 14 Elberti, SJ, "Witness of Christ in the Spirit" 81. From the external riteit is known as the "imposition of hands" (epithesis cheiron), or as "anointing with chrism" (unctio, chrismatio, chrisma, myron). In the middle ages, admission to the Eucharist was held off until well after the age of discretion. Scriptural foundation The roots of confirmation are found in the Church of the New Testament. It is interesting to see all the books in popular book stores focused on self-help and personal confidence. As I studied the history and the theology of confirmation it became clear to me why the fathers of Vatican II called for the revision of the Rite of Confirmation so that "the intimate connection which this sacrament has with the whole of Christian initiation is to be more clearly set forth".8 Furthermore, I began to recognize that placement of confirmation after first Eucharist only muddied the primacy of the Eucharist as the completion of initiation into the Church and the life-long nourishment of the relationship established with the Trinity and the Church in the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. What is Confirmation? (While Shavuot likely set the broad theme for the confirmation service, the actual date selected was the first Sunday after the holiday, according to the Hebrew calendar.). The aesthetics and order of the service owe a great deal to the desire to shape the new Jewish congregation along American lines. 3 Benedict XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, (February 22, 2007) 17-19. We see the first references to the sacrament in the Acts of the Apostles when Peter and John pray that the Holy Spirit comes down upon the Samaritans.26 Though the Samaritans were baptized they had not yet received the Holy Spirit. Id be happy to have a discussion with you, just not like this. 19 C.f. Confirmation is not marked by a choice to believe or not believe in the Catholic faith. The confirmation ceremony provided a new ritual that would affirm a commitment to the Jewish tradition within the vocabulary and structure of American religious traditions and graduation celebrations. Confirmation enables this growth in relationship to grow deeper in those who receive the sacrament. In 1992, the Catechism of the Catholic Church was published. Graduating class of the Temple De Hirsch Sunday School, Seattle 1918. Confirmation - Seven sacraments of the Catholic Church - BBC I wish to extend my gratitude to you for inviting me to deliver the 2011 Hillenbrand Lecture here at the Liturgical Institute in Mundelein. View the multimedia projects students created for the American Jewish History course. '; it unites us more firmly to Christ; it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us; it renders our bond with the Church more perfect; it gives us a special strength to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross.25. Confirmation was one of the items on the list of reforms. This strength conferred permits the specific character of confirmation to emerge. After the fifth century, in the west with the principal of the bishop as the celebrant of confirmation, it became difficult for a bishop to travel to the parishes in his diocese to baptize and confirm all at once. Drawing on St Irenaeus' theological anthropology, one could say, "What Jesus Christ is by nature, we are by grace".24 Growing in receptivity to this identity as beloved sons and daughters of the Father is central to our spiritual lives. An intrinsic dynamism exists between the three sacraments of initiation, as a result of which the one leads to the other, while the sum of the catechumenal and initiatory process has its culmination in the Eucharistic mystery, centre and form of the whole life of the Church.15 The intrinsic indivisibility between the three sacraments demands a certain order of succession.16, The restoration of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, which includes children above the age of reason, reveals this dynamism. Should the gift and strengthening of the Holy Spirit be denied young persons in their most formative years? 19 c.f. Worship Rites Miscellaneous Societal issues Links and resources Catholic Church portal v t e There are seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, which according to Catholic theology were instituted by Jesus and entrusted to the Church. In the Gospel of John 14, Christ speaks of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles ( John 14:15-26 ). However, the more I worked with the sacraments of initiation, and experienced children, who at the age of 7 entered the Church by the reception of confirmation immediately following baptism and then the Eucharist at the Easter Vigil, I began to question the wisdom of placing the sacrament of confirmation in high school and junior high. "6 He called on the Roman Curia and the Bishops' Conferences throughout the world to examine the effectiveness of current approaches to Christian initiation, so that the faithful can be helped both to mature through the formation received in our communities and to give their lives an authentically eucharistic direction. Copyright 2023 Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. Irondale, Alabama. This is still the current practice in the Eastern Rites of the Church, where the faithful are fully initiated as infants. The practice of administering confirmation . Father! Confirmation as a Sacrament of Initiation | EWTN 17- 89. Thus confirmation marks the completion of supplementary Hebrew school along with secular studies. Supporters of confirmation pointed out that unlike bar mitzvah, this ceremony included girls. I then will turn our attention to recent Church teaching, make observations on how placing confirmation after the Eucharist obscures the teaching of confirmation as a sacrament of initiation that leads to the Eucharist, and finally make some remarks on possible areas of study for you as graduate students at the Liturgical Institute. The order was restored. The teaching of the Church since Vatican II has supported the restoration of the order of the sacraments of initiation. The History and Development of the Sacrament of Confirmation - Loyola Press According to one view, for instance, the bar mitzvah ceremony had simply lost its prominence among some Jews. However, as the church grew during the next few centuries, it became impossible . The Catechism of the Catholic Church citing the introduction to the Rite of Confirmation notes in paragraph 1285 that Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the 'sacraments of Christian initiation,' whose unity must be safeguarded (emphasis added). Confirmation: A Brief History - Lumen Christi Catholic Church From an early point, the rite was held on Shavuot, the holiday that celebrates the giving of the Torah. Thanks to the New Media in Jewish Studies collaborative for its support of this project. 21. I created this post as a sample for my students. This view distorts the sacrament of confirmation. My email is above. 29 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1212-1419. In Romans, St Paul reminds us, "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. 35 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1308. Father!' This focus on belief is so central to the confirmation ceremony that students participated in an examination of their knowledge as part of the ritual. And, finally, is confirmation, because of the special attention given to it and the length in preparation for its reception, perceived by many to be a more important sacrament than baptism and Eucharist? Confirmation | Definition, Description, History, & Sacrament Pronounced: shah-voo-OTE (oo as in boot), also shah-VOO-us, Origin: Hebrew, the holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, falls in the Hebrew month Sivan, which usually coincides with May or June. In his Message for World Youth Day 2008, he affirms the ancient order and unity of the sacraments of initiation.32 His 2007 post-synodal Apostolic exhortation, Sacramentum Caritatis, noted earlier, is most significant in the call to recapture the primacy of the Eucharist in the sacraments of initiation. Jordan Aumann, O.P., Spiritual Theology (Sheed and Ward, London, 2001) 96. The order of the reception of the sacraments of reconciliation, confirmation and Eucharist in the Diocese of Fargo are: the sacrament of reconciliation in the 2nd grade, and the sacraments of confirmation and First Eucharist in the 3rd grade, celebrated during the same Mass by me during the Easter Season.2. Confirmation Ceremony - Birth of a Temple 34 Elberti, S.J., Witness of Christ in the Spirit 68. He said nothing of confirmation in his letter, Quam Singulari, but his main concern was that the children have all the resources they need to live a rich spiritual life in order to carry out their mission as Christians in the modern world. 7 Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis, 18. Throughout my priestly ministry, I have experienced many different approaches to the celebration of confirmation. 35Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1308. The confirmation program offered a set of religious practices that meshed perfectly with the expectations for Christian coming-of-age ceremonies that were popular in the United States at this time. Reprinted with permission fromLife Cycles in Jewish and Christian Worship (The University of Notre Dame Press). "7 He then, in paragraph 19, noted the vital role parents play in the process of initiation. All of the sacraments were instituted by Christ Himself, and each is an outward sign of an inward grace. Confirmation is ordered to the reception of the sacrament of the source and summit of our lives, the holy Eucharist. The Catechism of the Catholic Church beautifully summarizes the effects of confirmation, "it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, "Abba! The catechumens descended into a pool where they were baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And, finally, is confirmation, because of the special attention given to it and the length in preparation for its reception, perceived by many to be a more important sacrament than baptism and Eucharist? Before delving into the content of the ceremony . The Sacrament of Confirmation in the Catholic Church - Learn Religions Because of this, the separation between baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist grew. For Catholics, confirmation is the regarded as the perfection of baptism, and it gives us the grace to live our life as a Christian boldly and without shame. Cf Notitiae 35 (Nov.-Dec. 1999), Prot. N. 2607/98/L. Taken from: L'Osservatore Romano Weekly Edition in English 4 April; 2012, page 4. . Should the gift and strengthening of the Holy Spirit be denied young persons in their most formative years? But bar mitzvah has enjoyed a rebirth of popularity and significance among the descendants of those liberal Jews who once dispensed with it. While confirmation was conferred at the age of discretion, the Eucharist was delayed until the ages of 11 or 12. Confirmation reframed the Jewish holiday of Shavuot from the binding obligation to follow certain ritual actions to a declaration of divine principles that are encapsulated in the Ten commandments. Confirmation reshaped Jewish theology to fit the expectations of a creedal religious tradition equated religion with theological and ethical commitments. Confirmation: The misunderstood sacrament - Northwest Catholic Spiritual maturity cannot be identified with biological maturity and children do have the spiritual maturity necessary to receive confirmation, just as they have the spiritual maturity to receive the Eucharist at the age of reason. The Confirmation Hymn from the 1901 Temple De Hirsch Ceremony of Confirmation Program. Studying these early programs sheds light on the process of religious reform and acculturation that characterized Reform Judaism in Seattle and around the United States. Should the fear of not receiving a sacrament ever be used as a means to keep a young person involved in the life of the Church? For many Christians, confirmation is one of the three rites of initiation which incorporate an individual into the Body of Christ - that is, membership in the Christian Church (Acts 8:15 - 16). The norm in the diocese was sophomore year of high school. For instance, the prayer leader was not referred to as a rabbi, but as a minister. Indeed, by the 1970s, bat mitzvah had become the norm for many Jewish girls just as bar mitzvah was typical for boys. Adults or children were baptized, anointed or had In the general instruction to the Rite of Confirmation,31 it gives the age of reason as the suggested age for reception. The structure of the ritual closely resembled that of a graduation ceremony, with a processional, presentation of diplomas, valedictory address, and greetings from specific clubs. Thus, the custom began of receiving First Communion as a 2nd grader and later receiving confirmation in middle or high school. It allows for a deeper receptivity of the graces of the sacrament. Sacrament of Confirmation - Catholic Outlook Bishop Samuel Aquila delivered the Liturgical Institute?s Hillenbrand Distinguished Lecture June 24, 2011, in Mundelein, Ill. Two, confirmation is a person's first public affirmation of the faith of the church as being his or her own faith. Reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation does not mark the end of formal religious education. Confirmation was one of the items on the list of reforms. The role that confirmation played in the early temple sheds light on the process of religious reform and acculturation that characterized Reform Judaism in Seattle and around the United States. 31 Congregation for Divine Worship, General Introduction to the Rite of Confirmation (August 22, 1971), 11. The confirmation service was held in early June, which links it with Shavuot, the holiday associated with the giving of the Torah at Mt. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of divine life and advance towards the perfection of charity".27 Hence we see the move towards the restoration of the order of the sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmation and then Eucharist. When Is Confirmation Celebrated | Hearinnh The central scripture for the service was the decalogue, otherwise known as the ten commandments. Indeed, confirmation during this time period existed as a key coming-of-age moment for Catholics and for several Protestant denominations, as well (including German Lutherans, the majority religion in the German land that sparked the first Reform communities in the early decades of the nineteenth century). The culmination of the course of study indicated that the adolescent was now sufficiently responsible to graduate to adult status. Col 2:12), Confirmation is based on the mystery of the gift of the Spirit granted to the disciples at Pentecost, thus inaugurating the life of the Church and the mission of the apostles and believers in the world".12, Confirmation is anticipated by baptism, but the full strength and mission given by the Holy Spirit is lacking without confirmation. We long to be secure in order that our lives become successful, but this cannot come from mere positive thinking, or natural optimism, but only when one is enabled by the Holy Spirit to cry out "Abba! Bar Mitzvah, a term that literally means son of the commandments, reflects a tenet in Judaism that all men are required to fulfill the 613 commandments that God asked the Jewish people to follow as part of the covenant between God and his chosen people. Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration and initiation into the church that was begun by Jesus, who accepted baptism from St. John the Baptist and also ordered the Apostles to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Confirmation is a. 28 See footnote 1 for norms for the United States. Pentecost | Description, Observances, & History | Britannica Confirmation in the Early Church In the early Church the three Sacraments of initiationBaptism, Confirmation, and Eucharistwere celebrated in the same ceremony by adult catechumens at the Easter Vigil. Pronounced: baht MITZ-vuh, also bahs MITZ-vuh and baht meetz-VAH, Origin: Hebrew, Jewish rite of passage for a girl, observed at age 12 or 13. Roman Catholicism: Confirmation The Roman Catholic Church views confirmation as a sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ. In August 2002, after consultation with the clergy and laity, I issued a pastoral letter on the sacrament of confirmation, titled Send Forth Your Spirit, and as bishop I restored the order of the sacraments of initiation for those children baptized as Catholics in infancy.1 Education played a most important role in the process as many of the faithful were unaware of the history of the sacrament of confirmation and especially of Church teaching over the past 40 years. Haeres. In parish life, restoration of the order of the sacraments of initiation aids the local community in forming effective and engaging catechesis which acknowledges growth in faith as a life-long process. Archival records from Temple De Hirsch Sinai, Seattles largest Reform synagogue, include over 29 boxes of photos, documents, and other records that span from 1883 to 2001. Thank you for your attention this evening on this important discussion. His concern is to maintain the centrality and importance of the Eucharist which in many parish catechetical programs is given less attention than confirmation. Spiritual maturity cannot be identified with biological maturity and children do have the spiritual maturity necessary to receive confirmation, just as they have the spiritual maturity to receive the Eucharist at the age of reason. This continues to be a recent practice in the life of the Church. 8 Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 71. This is still the current practice in the Eastern Rites of the Church, where the faithful are fully initiated as infants. Entitled The Sacrament of Confirmation, the lecture noted the history of the order of the sacraments for Catholics baptized as infants and reasons why the sacrament of confirmation should be received prior to first Eucharist. So that's why confirmation is usually celebrated several years after baptism, maybe seven or eight years, sometimes all the way up into the teens. A portion of The Order of Services page in the 1901 Temple De Hirsch Ceremony of Confirmation Program. Confirmation is a sacrament, ritual or rite of passage practised by several Christian denominations. Taking personal responsibility for one's Catholic faith is something that is a habitual choice made by grace. [20] CCC 460, St. Irenaeus, Adv. Confirmation as a Sacrament of Initiation, Bishop Aquila gives the Hillenbrand Distinguished Lecture. The Weekly Edition in English is published for the US by: The Cathedral Foundation L'Osservatore Romano English Edition 880 Park Avenue P.O. Is it a biological, psychological, intellectual or spiritual maturity that we are speaking about? It confers the gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord) upon the recipient, who must be a baptized person at least seven years old. Bishop Aquila is one of several bishops in the United States who have in recent years restored the administration of the sacraments of initiation to their ancient order of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion. If they are mature enough to receive the Eucharist, the crown of the sacraments, are they not mature enough to receive a sacrament that is ordered to it?37. Canon 891 calls for children to be confirmed at the age of reason, unless the Bishops' Conference has decided a different age.28. Anti-Jewish violence in medieval Egypt offers insights for today, Maja Haderlap, Jewish writers, and telling the story of ethnic Slovenians in Austria using the language of the enemy, Uncovering the Yiddish-language tales about Knights of the Round Table that Jews (and non-Jews) loved, Mosaics of the Abraham & Isaac story show how Jews in late antiquity used art to connect with religion and community, The Jews of medieval Iraq and Kurdistan: Surprising insights from Rabbi Benjamin of Tudelas 12th-century geography, The Sudan-Israel normalization process: A tactical move but a strategic hazard, Ethics and animals in the Bible: Why ancient Israelites thought of birds as moral examples to follow, In Memoriam | Professor Emeritus Gad Barzilai, In Memoriam | Professor Emeritus Jere Bacharach, the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs. Over time the three actions were separated from each other. After the fifth century, in the west with the principal of the bishop as the celebrant of confirmation, it became difficult for a bishop to travel to the parishes in his diocese to baptize and confirm all at once. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Stroum Center for Jewish Studies, The Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington, Box 353650, Seattle, WA 98195-3650, Thomson Hall | Phone: (206) 543-0138 | Email: jewishst@uw.edu. Infants were baptized and given communion by the priest and later the bishop would come to administer confirmation. '; it unites us more firmly to Christ; it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us; it renders our bond with the Church more perfect; it gives us a special strength to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross".25.

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