Chapter VI — On the sacrament of Confirmation

I. QUESTION I. Is Confirmation a sacrament of the new law? ANSWER. All Catholics affirm it, and that by the clearest testimonies of the Scriptures and by the perennial tradition of the Fathers: which truth against the Protestants Trent defined, session 7, On Confirmation, canon 1.

II. QUESTION II. What is the matter of this sacrament? ANSWER. All Catholics against Luther, Calvin, Dallaeus, and the other innovators teach that it is either the chrism, or the imposition of hands, or both together. To me the more probable opinion is that which lays down that the adequate matter of this sacrament is the imposition of hands and the chrism, which is confected of oil and balsam. Theologians dispute whether balsam be necessary in the confection of the chrism, with the necessity of the sacrament or of precept. Some affirm, others deny. Each opinion can be defended without loss of faith. To me the more probable opinion is that which defends that oil mixed with balsam is necessary with the necessity of the sacrament. That that chrism be consecrated is necessary with the necessity of the sacrament, as the more probable opinion defends. The minister of the consecration is the bishop. Theologians dispute whether the faculty of blessing chrism can be committed by the Apostolic See to a simple priest. Suárez, Salmerón, Toletus, Sylvius, Gonet, and many others deny it. Sirmond, Cajetan, Soto, Vitasse, and many others affirm it. This second opinion is to me the more probable.

III. QUESTION III. What is the form of the sacrament of Confirmation? ANSWER. The form which the Latin Church uses is this: 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 form which the Greek Church uses is this: The seal of the Holy Ghost. The Latin Church holds this form as ratified. Many things theologians dispute concerning each form; but they are not of such moment as to be discussed.

IV. QUESTION IV. Who is the author of this sacrament? ANSWER. Various disputations being dismissed, with the common opinion of Catholics I say that Christ the Lord is the immediate or proximate institutor of that sacrament. And this has been shown above. Concerning the time at which he instituted it — whether before his death, or after the resurrection, or on the day of Pentecost — nothing certain can be laid down.

V. QUESTION V. Is the bishop alone the ordinary minister of this sacrament? ANSWER. All Catholics affirm it, and this was defined both in the Council of Florence in the Instruction for the Armenians and in Trent, session 7, canon 3. The faculty of confirming can nevertheless be granted by the Supreme Pontiff to a simple priest, as several examples prove. This faculty cannot be granted by bishops, as the more probable opinion defends. A bishop sins mortally who omits the administration of this sacrament, because a shepherd is bound to feed his own flock.

VI. QUESTION VI. Who are capable of receiving this sacrament? ANSWER. All the baptized, whether men or women, or infants, are by right capable of that sacrament, as the custom both of the Latin and of the Greek Church proves: for formerly for many centuries chrism was conferred upon infants after baptism. Since nevertheless that sacrament is not necessary with the necessity of means, it was fittingly laid down in several councils that it be administered to the baptized after the use of reason has been attained. Whether the demented are to be confirmed is remitted to the prudence of the bishops. To the sick and to the possessed this sacrament ought to be administered, that they may become stronger in their struggles.

VII. QUESTION VII. What dispositions are required in adults to be confirmed? ANSWER. First, they ought to be in grace. Second, if they are conscious to themselves of mortal sin, they ought to send sacramental confession before. Third, they ought to be versed in the apostolic symbol. Fourth, it is very fitting that they be fasting. It is the part of parish priests to instruct them and to teach them the dignity of so great a sacrament. Let them above all imbue them with this: that they are sealed on the forehead with the sign of the cross, that, fortified with this sacred token, they may dare openly and in the sight of the whole world, human respects and petty reasonings being trodden underfoot, to confess the faith of Christ and the sanctity of his evangelical morality against all corruptions. These things are to be fixed more deeply in their minds by the parish priest.

VIII. QUESTION VIII. What are the effects of Confirmation? ANSWER. Two: grace and a character, as is plain from divine Scripture. Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost: Acts 8. The communication of the Holy Ghost is not made without the infusion of grace. There is added that all the sacraments of the new law confer sanctifying grace. Confirmation confers the second, not the first grace, since it is a sacrament of the living, not of the dead. This grace renders the baptized man intrepid, strong, and robust. In the first centuries of the Church, while the most monstrous persecutors raged against the Church of God, confirmed Christians feared not the rack, not the burning furnaces, not the raging beasts to whose jaws they were delivered; but with incredible fortitude they suffered the harsher torments and the most monstrous butchery of their own bodies, that they might maintain the faith of Christ. What now is the struggle, who the enemies to be overcome? Human respects, political reasonings, love of the age, pomps, luxury, the enticements of a raving world. All who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. There are therefore in every age persecutors, and indeed within, not to say outside, the Church, as all the Fathers testify. The dogmas of faith are liable to no persecution within the Church. Therefore the precepts, and indeed chiefly those of charity, suffer persecution — not open, but crafty and enticing. Put on therefore fortitude, O Christian, unfold the sign of the Cross impressed upon thy forehead. Openly confess evangelical morality, not in word only but in morals. Thou bearest a character impressed upon thy soul from this sacrament, as St. Paul testifies, 2 Corinthians 1: God … hath anointed us, and hath sealed us, and given the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts. See more in Vol. VIII, Book 2, dissertation 1, chapter 3.

IX. QUESTION IX. Is there given a precept of receiving this sacrament? ANSWER. Many kindly probabilists deny any precept whatsoever, whether divine or ecclesiastical, of receiving this sacrament. Fr. Leander, tract 3, disputation 1, question 5, answers more probably that no such divine precept is given; and at question 6 he similarly answers more probably that no ecclesiastical precept is given. At last at question 7 he determines it more probable that he sins venially who through negligence should omit this sacrament.

X. Fr. Viva goes further in his Course of Theology, tract 5, question 3, article 1, no. 6, where he lays down that, scandal and contempt being cut off, he does not sin even venially who omits this sacrament, because, he says from Trullench, nowhere is there a precept concerning receiving it.

XI. Fr. Claude La Croix, Book 6, part 1, doubt 3, no. 395, question 72, asserts from Dicastillo that there was formerly an ecclesiastical precept, but that through desuetude that precept has now ceased. Fr. Thomas Tamburini, Book 3, chapter 3, § 4, keenly inveighs against Leander for having taught that he sins venially who omits this sacrament through negligence: because concerning this no precept appears: which is the opinion of Suárez against Cajetan.

XII. Here the opinion of the casuists is false. I have transcribed in Vol. VIII, Book 2, dissertation 2, chapter 6, the testimonies of the Fathers, the decrees of councils, and especially the testimony of the Tridentine Catechism, which in part 2, On Confirmation, §§ 16 and 17, inculcates with a vehement exhortation the reception of that sacrament.

XIII. It is agreed among all that this sacrament is not necessary with the necessity of means. But a precept, both divine and ecclesiastical, although it has not been brought in express words, is nevertheless gathered from the common tradition and consent of the Church. It is permitted to add the words of Benedict XIV, happily reigning, who in his Constitution On the Rites of the Greeks, § 5, says that it is to be admonished by the bishops that they are held guilty of grave sin, if, when they can approach to confirmation, they refuse and neglect it. Let all the synods and catechisms be turned over — those of the latest age, not to say the ancient ones — and it will be plain to everyone with what zeal and study the Fathers and bishops and the more celebrated theologians inculcate the reception and administration of that sacrament. Wherefore all the councils nearer to us, especially that of Worms, and the Fourth of Milan, of Bordeaux, and of Aix, and the Tridentine Catechism, prove that the doctrine of those who excuse from venial fault the faithful who neglect the reception of that sacrament is a figment injurious to the councils themselves. Wherefore by right the University of Paris in the year 1625 proscribed this opinion: All theologians say that confirmation is not commanded, except when it can be conveniently had, or, as others say, most conveniently, when without any, or with the very least, inconvenience. Upon which opinion the Sorbonne passed this censure: That proposition is scandalous, and put forth with a malign mind, to the greatest contempt of the sacrament of Confirmation.

XIV. QUESTION X. What are the rites of receiving that sacrament? ANSWER. First, a godparent is to be chosen, who may present the neophyte to be confirmed. Second, those are not to be chosen as godparents who are not themselves confirmed, because they are not perfect members of Christ. Third, parents ought not to stand as godparents, on account of the spiritual kinship which they would contract; nor those who have not attained the fourteenth year; nor women for males, nor males for females; nor ought young men to present the old in the receiving of the sacrament of Confirmation, or act as co-sponsors, unless necessity compel otherwise. Fourth, the time of Confirmation was formerly Pentecost. This discipline is subject to change. Most excellently nevertheless will bishops act if at this time, when opportunity is at hand, they administer that sacrament. In any church whatsoever the bishop can administer this sacrament. These things being disposed, the bishop approaches to sign the neophytes, kneeling and holding their hands before the breast. He pronounces the form: I sign thee with the sign of the cross, and so forth, anointing them with chrism. He strikes the confirmed lightly with a blow on the cheek, that he may hence gather that he ought to be prepared for injuries, contumelies, and persecutions to be sustained for the name of Christ. Afterwards the forehead of the confirmed is bound about with a fillet, or a little band of white linen, lest the chrism flow down, and that the confirmed may understand with how great study he ought to guard the grace received. This ceremony the Roman Pontifical prescribes. Formerly the forehead of the confirmed remained bound for seven days. Then the time was contracted to three days, at last to twenty-four hours; but in this let the customs of each Church be observed. Those fillets cannot be converted to profane use, but ought to be burned.