Question Two: On the Effects of Confirmation

S. Th. III, q. 72, a. 5 and 7.

184. The effect of the sacrament of Confirmation, even in infants, is strengthening in the spiritual life, or fortification and increase of supernatural life, so that man is brought in it, as it were, to perfect age. This is explicitly taught by the Council of Florence, and otherwise is clear from the manner of speaking used by the Scriptures and the Fathers, according to which in Confirmation the Holy Spirit Himself is infused and conferred simply,¹ i.e. fully with all gifts, unto the strength and firmness of justice, and unto their full outpouring and abundance, whereas in Baptism He already conferred rebirth and the remission of sins.² And indeed:

¹ Acts VIII, 15-16; XIX, 5-6.

² Acts II, 38; XXII, 16; Heb. X, 22; John III, 5; Eph. V, 26.

A. On those who do not place an obstacle it confers grace, which is of faith from the Council of Trent, sess. 7, can. 1: per se, second grace, because fortification and increase in the spiritual life of itself supposes this; per accidens, probably first grace, if someone in good faith approaches in sin, being attrite concerning it (a. 7, ad 2).

Hence a) per accidens it remits mortal sin; b) it also remits venial sins, by means of fervor or the exercise of charity, according as and insofar as this contains at least implicitly their retractation; c) but if someone places an obstacle, once the obstacle has been removed by penance, he will obtain the grace of the sacrament.

Moreover, the sacrament confers:

1. habitual grace making one pleasing, which it increases, as we have said: for the Holy Spirit is not given except with grace making one pleasing (a. 7);

2. all the infused virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are infused together with grace and are proportionately increased with it;

3. special sacramental grace strengthening (ad 3), namely, for confessing the faith publicly before men strenuously and boldly, and for defending it and fighting for it; as is clear from the effect produced in the apostles;

4. the right to actual graces, necessary for this end, to be obtained throughout the whole of life at the opportune time.

B. All who validly receive it, it consecrates and signs with an indelible character, as is of faith from Trent, sess. 7, can. 9, by which the baptized man is made a soldier of Christ, receiving the power, from office, of professing the faith publicly and fighting, and of receiving sacred things more fittingly. St. Thomas shows this thus, a. 5:

"Character is a certain spiritual power ordered to certain sacred actions... But it has been said above that, just as Baptism is a certain spiritual regeneration into Christian life, so also Confirmation is a certain spiritual increase advancing man into perfect spiritual age. But from the likeness of bodily life it is manifest that one action belongs to a man immediately after birth, and another belongs to him when he has arrived at perfect age. And therefore through the sacrament of Confirmation there is given to man spiritual power for certain other sacred actions, besides those for which power is given to him in Baptism. For in Baptism man receives power for doing those things which pertain to his own salvation, insofar, namely, as he lives according to himself; but in Confirmation man receives power for doing those things which pertain to spiritual combat against the enemies of the faith, as is clear in the example of the apostles, who, before they received the fullness of the Holy Spirit, were persevering in prayer in the upper room; but afterward, having gone out, they did not fear publicly to confess the Christian faith even before enemies. And therefore it is manifest that in the sacrament of Confirmation a character is imprinted."

"And therefore the character of Confirmation is a distinctive sign, not of unbelievers from believers, but of those spiritually advanced from those to whom it is said, I Pet. II, 2: As newborn infants..." (ad 1).

This effect is also produced in those who place an obstacle to grace; and it is a permanent title on account of which, once the obstacle has been removed, the grace of the sacrament is conferred and the sacrament always revives.

185. Corollaries. - 1. The character of Confirmation of necessity supposes the baptismal character, because no one can be advanced into perfect age unless first he has been born; whence if someone not baptized were confirmed, he would receive nothing (a. 6).

2. The sacrament of Confirmation is unrepeatable, because it imprints an indelible character; nor was that which was thought to have been validly administered ever repeated in the Church. But if it is sometimes read that hands were imposed on those confirmed in heresy with invocation of the Holy Spirit or for receiving the Holy Spirit, this must be understood either of a penitential rite; or of the grace of Confirmation which, on account of the removal of the obstacle by penance, is granted at that moment; or even, in certain Churches, of the repetition of Confirmation, because they held it invalid when administered by heretics, while they thought that the condition of validity posited by the Church was the true faith of the minister concerning the Most Holy Trinity.