Treatise: On Confirmation

173. The second sacrament is Confirmation. - "In the spiritual life," says St. Thomas, C.G. IV, 60, "the first thing is spiritual generation through Baptism; the second is spiritual increase leading to perfect strength through the sacrament of Confirmation." The name is taken from the effect: for confirmation (vormsel, formerly vroomsel) is said from the verb to confirm (i.e. to strengthen, to render firm; vromen); but this sacrament in the spiritual life strengthens, fortifies, and leads, as it were, to a certain adult age.

The denomination has a foundation in the Scriptures, II Cor. I, 21; but it first seems to have been used in the fourth century by St. Ambrose, On the Mysteries, VII, 42, and most certainly by the First Council of Orange (a. 441), can. 2.

It was also called by other names:

a) from the remote matter it is called chrism of salvation, sacrament of chrism, mystery of the ointment; in Greek: χρίσμα, or τὸ μύρον, i.e. ointment, which is the name customarily used by the more recent Greeks;

b) from the proximate matter: seal or σφραγίς, consignation, anointing, imposition of the hand or χειροθεσία;

c) from the effect: gift of the Holy Spirit; sacrament of fullness; perfection and consummation, or τελείωσις and βεβαίωσις.

174. Confirmation is defined: A sacrament of the New Law instituted by Christ the Lord, in which, by imposition of the hand and anointing of chrism under the prescribed form of words, the Holy Spirit is conferred upon the baptized for professing the faith strenuously.

In this definition there is indicated:

1. The genus to which Confirmation pertains: a sacrament of the New Law.

2. The author of Confirmation: instituted by Christ the Lord.

3. The matter: in which by imposition of the hand and anointing of chrism.

4. The form: under the prescribed form of words.

5. The subject: upon the baptized.

6. The effect: the Holy Spirit is conferred for professing the faith strenuously.

175. Division of the treatise. - The treatise is divided into four questions:

1. On the sacrament of Confirmation itself: a) on its institution; b) on its constitutive parts or matter and form.

2. On the effects of Confirmation.

3. On the minister of Confirmation.

4. On the subject of Confirmation.¹

¹ Concerning Confirmation there can be consulted St. Thomas III, q. 72, with the commentaries of Cajetan and Billuart; St. Bellarmine, Controv., on Confirmation; Witasse, Treatise on Confirmation; Van Noort, Tanquerey, De Smet, Hugon in their works on the Sacraments; Chardon, History of the Sacraments; Nepefny, Die Firmung; Heimbucher, Die H. Firmung; L. Janssens, La Confirmation; Bickell, Die Firmung bei den Nestorianern; Dölger, Das Sakrament der Firmung historisch-dogmatisch dargestellt; Dict. de Théol., art. Chrême and Confirmation; Coppens, L'Imposition des mains et les rites connexes; d'Alès, De Baptismo et Confirmatione.

There is added an appendix on the ceremonies of Confirmation.