Article I. On the Matter of Confirmation

261. • I. The remote matter of Confirmation is chrism made from olive oil and balsam, and blessed by a Bishop. - Thus commonly, and it is clear from the Council of Florence in the Decree on the Sacraments. It can also be said that the partial remote matter is the hand of the Bishop formally as such, inasmuch, namely, as the imposition of the hand is the partial proximate matter, as will soon be said.

II. The proximate matter is the anointing with chrism applied to those to be confirmed by the Minister of this Sacrament through the imposition of the hand. This is clear from the Declaration of Benedict XIV, in the Encyclical Letter Ex quo primum, where he has these things: Therefore let this be said, which is beyond controversy: namely, that in the Latin Church the Sacrament of Confirmation is conferred by using sacred chrism, or olive oil mixed with balsam and blessed by a Bishop, and by the sign of the Cross being traced by the Minister of the Sacrament on the forehead of the recipient, while the same Minister pronounces the words of the form.

Therefore the proximate matter of Confirmation does not partially consist, as several formerly wished, in the general imposition of the hand made by the Bishop on all those to be confirmed. - See St. Ligorius, n. 164, at the end.

262. Questions. - QUESTION 1. Whether balsam is required by necessity of the Sacrament?

Resp. The answer is affirmative, more probably, as it seems, from the Decree of Eugene IV for the Armenians, where he says that the matter of Confirmation is chrism made from oil and balsam. But balsam of any region suffices, and in that quantity alone which is enough that it can give its odor; nor is it necessary that it be mixed with all the parts of the oil. - St. Ligorius, n. 162.

QUESTION 2. Whether the chrism must necessarily be blessed?

Resp. 1. The answer must be affirmative absolutely, if the discussion is about necessity of precept. - Thus all with St. Ligorius, n. 163.

Resp. 2. The answer seems to have to be affirmative even if the discussion is about necessity of the Sacrament. For the constant practice of the Church and the Decree of Eugene IV persuade this, in which it is read that the matter of Confirmation is blessed chrism. - Thus commonly with St. Ligorius, ibid. - But whether chrism must necessarily be blessed by a Bishop will be said below, where the Minister is treated.

263. • QUESTION 3. Whether the chrism must necessarily be of that year?

Resp. This is not required by necessity of the Sacrament, because whether it is old or new, the matter is not changed; but it is required from the precept of the Church. Hence a Bishop who confirmed with old chrism would sin gravely. For to this end new chrism is consecrated on the Lord's Supper, the old having been burned. - St. Ligorius, n. 163, and others commonly.

QUESTION 4. Whether for the value of the Sacrament the oil must necessarily be of olives?

Resp. The answer is affirmative. The reason is that this is properly called oil. Hence oil made from another matter, for example from nuts, is not valid matter, because it does not come simply under the name of oil. - Thus commonly with St. Thomas, p. 3, q. 72, art. 2. - St. Ligorius, n. 162.

264. • QUESTION 5. How must the anointing be done?

Resp. It must be done with the right thumb of the Bishop, in the manner of a cross, on the forehead of the confirmed person. Nevertheless the anointing would be valid if it were done with another finger of the Bishop, and even if it were a finger of the left hand, because it would truly be done through the imposition of the episcopal hand. Yet the Bishop would sin who did this without necessity, because he would depart from the practice of the universal Church; although it does not appear that the inversion of the said ceremony reaches grave fault. - St. Ligorius, n. 165, and others.

QUESTION 6. Whether the anointing can validly be done by means of an instrument?

Resp. No. The reason is that the immediate imposition of the hand of the Minister would be lacking, which from what has been said is altogether required. Nor may you say that Extreme Unction is validly ministered by means of an instrument; for in that Sacrament the imposition of the hand is not required for validity, as it is in Confirmation. - St. Ligorius, n. 166, and others commonly.