Question — Noldin, Summa of Moral Theology
Question First. On the Nature of Confirmation
84. Definition. Confirmation is a sacrament by which, through the anointing of chrism and the imposition of the hand under a certain form of words, the Holy Spirit is conferred for strengthening the faith received in baptism.
a. Confirmation is the complement of baptism, by which, through more abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit, the supernatural life infused in baptism is increased and perfected. Therefore in the first centuries of the Church confirmation was conferred together with baptism.
b. Concerning the time of institution, some (Scotus) teach that confirmation was instituted by Christ the Lord after his resurrection, when he conferred on the apostles the fullness of episcopal power by those words: "As the Father has sent me, I also send you ... Receive the Holy Spirit."2 But others think that this sacrament was instituted at the Last Supper, when Christ had a longer discourse to the apostles.3 For since Christ in this discourse several times promises that he will send the Holy Spirit both to the apostles and to the other faithful, it is not incredible that he at the same time taught in what way the Holy Spirit was to be conferred on individuals. Hence there prevailed and is preserved in the Church the custom of preparing chrism on the Lord's Supper. Nevertheless the patrons of this opinion concede that Christ at the Last Supper only taught the apostles the matter and form of confirmation, but did not give them the power of conferring this sacrament, because the apostles at that time had not yet been instituted bishops, to whom alone it belongs to minister this sacrament.4 Hence a third opinion arose, which holds that the institution of this sacrament was begun at the Last Supper but completed after the resurrection, when the full power of priestly and episcopal order was conferred on the apostles.5
1 St. Thomas III, q. 72; St. Alphonsus, l. 6, n. 161-188; Suarez, De sacramentis, disp. 32-38; Coninck, De sacramentis, q. 72, n. 1-115; Sporer-Kazenberger, Supplementum theol. sacram., c. 2, n. 1-49; Ballerini-Palmieri, Opus theol. mor., IV, n. 785-807; Lehmkuhl, Theol. mor., II, n. 89-104 (n. 120-144); Heimbucher, Die hl. Firmung (Augsburg: Huttler, 1889); Dolger, Das Sakrament der Firmung (Vienna: Mayer, 1906); Code of Canon Law, 780-800.
3 John 14-17.
4 Suarez, disp. 32, sect. 2, n. 4; Sporer-Kazenberger, n. 5.
5 Coninck, n. 23.
85. The effects of this sacrament are: a. an increase of sanctifying grace, virtues, and gifts of the Holy Spirit; for it is a sacrament of the living, which supposes first grace; b. sacramental grace: a right to special actual graces by which the faith received in baptism can be preserved against internal and external temptations and unconquerably defended; c. the impression of a character, by which a baptized man is constituted a soldier of Christ, the supreme leader, in the fight against the enemies of salvation; hence it is that this sacrament can be repeated neither licitly nor validly.
In the first times of the Church the sacrament of confirmation produced effects altogether extraordinary, namely graces freely given or charisms, especially the charism of tongues.1 Since these effects chiefly tended to show to unbelievers the Holy Spirit vivifying and governing the Church of Christ, and were necessary only in the beginnings of the Church, afterward they ceased.