Dissertation II. On the Ministration of Confirmation

I. The person ministering. 1. A bishop can validly confer Confirmation. This is of faith from the Council of Trent.¹ Therefore a bishop can always validly minister the sacrament.

2. A presbyter in fact cannot validly confer Confirmation without delegation. Thus all. But it is disputed whether or not even a presbyter per se or of himself enjoys the faculty of validly ministering Confirmation. Some affirm this; nevertheless they add that, by force of ecclesiastical or even divine disposition, the valid exercise of the said power does not belong to the presbyter. Others deny that a presbyter can per se or of himself confer Confirmation validly, but say that he enjoys only an incomplete power of confirming, to be completed by delegation. Among these, however, some teach that this kind of delegation, regard being had only to divine law, belongs even to a bishop; others judge that it is reserved, not only in fact but also by force of divine law, to the Supreme Pontiff alone.² From what has been said, draw out the things which follow.

3. The ordinary minister of Confirmation is the bishop alone (canon 782, § 1). The extraordinary minister is a presbyter to whom this faculty has been granted either by common law or by a special indult of the Apostolic See (canon 782, § 2). Now:

a) Besides Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church according to the norm of canon 239, § 1, n. 23,³ an abbot or prelate nullius, a vicar and prefect apostolic enjoy this faculty by the law itself; these, however, cannot use it validly except within the boundaries of their territory and only during their office (canon 782, § 3). To the said persons are also reckoned the pro-vicar and pro-prefect to whom the care of the vicariate or prefecture has come according to the norm of canon 309 (canon 310, compared with canon 294, § 2). The aforesaid persons can validly confirm all within the boundaries of their territory.

b) A presbyter of the Latin rite to whom this faculty belongs by force of an indult validly confers Confirmation only on the faithful of his own rite, unless another thing has been expressly provided in the indult (canon 782, § 4). If, however, the indult is local, in the territory designated for him he validly confirms all the faithful of his own rite, even outsiders. If the indult is personal, he validly confirms only those persons who are comprehended by the indult.

c) Priests of the Eastern rite, by force of immemorial custom, validly and licitly administer Confirmation together with Baptism to infants of their own rite, except in those churches to which by a special statute the Latin discipline has been extended,⁴ as has taken place in Bulgaria, Italy, and the adjacent islands. But "it is unlawful for priests who enjoy the faculty or privilege of conferring Confirmation together with Baptism on infants of their own rite to minister the same to infants of the Latin rite" (canon 782, § 5); since these words do not exclude validity, the conferral does not seem invalid.

¹ Session 7, On Confirmation, canon 3.

² Cf. Gilsamann, Zur Lehre der Scholastik vom Spender der Firmung; De Smet, Tractatus dogmatico-moralis de sacramentis in genere, de Baptismo et Confirmatione, n. 400 and following.

³ Cardinals confirm validly everywhere, with the burden, however, of recording the name of the confirmed person (canon 239, § 1, n. 23).

⁴ Aertnys-Damen, II, n. 87.

II. Liceity of ministering. 1. A bishop legitimately ministers this sacrament in his own diocese even to outsiders, unless an express prohibition of their proper Ordinary stands in the way (canon 783, § 1). In another diocese he needs the permission of the local Ordinary, at least reasonably presumed, unless the case concerns his own subjects to whom he confers Confirmation privately and without staff and mitre (canon 783, § 2).

2. A presbyter who is furnished with a local apostolic privilege licitly confirms even outsiders in the territory designated for him, unless their Ordinaries have expressly forbidden it (canon 784).

III. Obligation of ministering. 1. A bishop is bound by obligation to confer this sacrament on subjects rightly and reasonably asking for it, especially at the time of the visitation of the diocese. A presbyter endowed with apostolic privilege is held by the same obligation toward those in whose favor the faculty has been granted (canon 785, §§ 1 and 2). Nevertheless they are not bound to confer Confirmation on a dying person who asks for it; for they cannot furnish that office to one and deny it to another, but to satisfy all would be an excessive burden (St. Alphonsus, VI, 175).

2. An Ordinary impeded by a legitimate cause or lacking the power of confirming must, so far as it can be done, provide at least within every five-year period that this sacrament be administered to his subjects (canon 785, § 3).

3. If he has gravely neglected to minister the sacrament of Confirmation to his subjects by himself or through another, the Metropolitan is bound to inform the Holy See (canon 785, § 4). Grave neglect seems to be present if the occasion of receiving Confirmation is deferred beyond five years.

IV. Things to be observed in ministering regard time, place, sacred vestments, ceremonies, and sponsors.

1. Time. This sacrament can be conferred at any time; but it is especially fitting that it be administered in the week of Pentecost (canon 790). It is only of counsel that the one confirming and those to be confirmed be fasting (St. Alphonsus, VI, 174, question 1).

2. Place. The proper place for administering Confirmation is a church; nevertheless the minister, for a cause which he has judged just and reasonable, can confer it in any decent place (canon 791). A bishop has the right of administering it within the boundaries of his diocese also in exempt places (canon 792).

3. Sacred vestments are set forth in the Pontifical; to omit most of them would be grave (St. Alphonsus, VI, 184, note 1).

4. Ceremonies to be observed by a bishop are found in the Roman Pontifical; those to be observed by a presbyter are contained in the Instruction of the Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide.¹ Their obligation is grave from its genus (St. Alphonsus, VI, 184).

5. Sponsors: a) A sponsor, if he can be had, is to be used (canon 793), and this under grave obligation (St. Alphonsus, VI, 185). Moreover:

1. There is to be only one sponsor for each person to be confirmed (canon 794, § 2); hence the person to be confirmed cannot have two sponsors.

2. The same person can be sponsor for only one or two, unless for a just cause something else seems good to the minister (canon 794, § 1). Therefore the minister can for a just cause permit that the same person be sponsor even for several, indeed that one man be sponsor for all males, and one woman for all females.²

b) In order that someone be validly constituted sponsor, it is required: 1. that he himself also be confirmed, have attained the use of reason, and have the intention of carrying out that office; 2. that he be ascribed to no heretical or schismatical sect, nor be excommunicated or infamous with infamy of law by a condemnatory or declaratory sentence, or excluded from legitimate acts, nor be a cleric deposed or degraded; 3. that he not be the father, mother, or spouse of the person to be confirmed; 4. that he be designated by the person to be confirmed or by his parents or tutors, or, if these are lacking or refuse, by the minister or by the pastor; 5. that in the very act of Confirmation he physically touch the person to be confirmed, either by himself or through a procurator (canon 795).

c) In order that someone be licitly admitted to the office of sponsor, it is required: 1. that he be someone other than the sponsor of Baptism, unless a reasonable cause, in the judgment of the minister, suggests otherwise, or Confirmation is legitimately conferred immediately after Baptism; 2. that he be of the same sex as the person to be confirmed, unless in particular cases something else seems good to the minister for a reasonable cause; 3. that the prescriptions of canon 766 also be observed (canon 796).³

d) From valid Confirmation there arises between the confirmed person and the sponsor a spiritual kinship, from which the sponsor is bound by obligation to have the confirmed person perpetually commended to himself and to care for his Christian education (canon 797). Nevertheless the said kinship does not carry with it an impediment of marriage.

¹ 4 May 1774 (Collectanea, n. 503).

² Cf. Sacred Congregation of the Council, 24 June 1823; 12 July 1823; Holy Office, 16 June 1884 (Collectanea, n. 1619).

³ Canon 766 sets forth the requisites for someone to be licitly admitted as sponsor in Baptism (n. 84).

V. Notation and proof of Confirmation ministered. 1. The pastor is to inscribe in a special book the names of the minister, of those confirmed, of the parents and sponsors, and the day and place of Confirmation (canon 798). Besides, it should be noted in the book of the baptized if the baptized person has received Confirmation (canon 798). If the proper pastor of the confirmed person was not present, concerning the Confirmation conferred the minister, either by himself or through another, should as soon as possible inform the same pastor (canon 799).

2. To prove Confirmation conferred, provided prejudice is done to no one, one witness beyond all exception suffices, or the oath of the confirmed person himself, unless he was confirmed in infant age (canon 800), that is, before the completed seventh year (canon 88, § 3).