Posted on 06/03/2015 3:26:36 PM PDT by NYer
This is so very important! In the RC Diocese of Albany, under former Bishop Hubbard, the Sacrament of Confirmation was declared "optional", rather than "required". The graces bestowed by this sacrament are necessary and should never have been relegated as optional.
Catholic ping!
bump
Wow. Just wow.
Another way to transmit a false gospel to even younger generations.
I am a living witness that the whole RC sacrament system was a deception.
The RC system doesn’t understand what it means to be born again, and to understand salvation by grace through faith.
This is just as bad as the idiots who thought that Extreme Unction for old Teddy Kennedy had any benefit.
Honestly I didn’t really understand the confirmation process when I was confirmed, I don’t see how a 7 year old could.
My husband is Catholic and was confirmed when he was 12 or so. He said he was clueless about his faith and thought age 21 would have been a better age for confirmation. It would have been his choice at that age and not anyone else.
When I was in Boy Scouts, I earned every merit badge they had.
I did it because it was a challenge. Most of the scouts in my unit did the same.
We didn’t understand , at the time, what ‘value’ each and every one of the merit badges was giving us.
I do now.
for later
I think the reasoning here is that the gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed during Confirmation help guard against the wilds of modern society, whether understood or not. His gifts effectiveness aren’t based on our understanding. But I could be wrong.
RC is a political entity, and it’s dying a political death. People are starting to realize that these big mega denominations are just political entities.
Just go on believing that. All roads lead to Rome.
Dominus vobiscum, y’all.
;^)
I agree. The age for the Sacrament of Confirmation should be lowered all around. In our diocese, you must be 12 or in the 6th grade, which seems reasonable to me. In my brother’s diocese, however, they wait until the laughable age of 16. They lose MANY kids — almost all of the kids who go to public school never receive the sacrament. (The Catholic school kids get CCD in school, so they typically DO receive the sacrament.)
Once that happens, they’ve probably lost them forever because without it you can’t have a church wedding and most young people today aren’t going to take a year out to go through RCIA. And once THAT happens...you’ve lost the future family, too. I see it all the time. Sad.
Regards,
PS: Children can and DO understand what Confirmation is — IF they are taught properly, and not by those silly coloring books masquerading as catechisms. Go back to the Gold Standard: The Baltimore Catechism. The kids will understand.
Made my first holy communion in 2nd grade and my confirmation in fifth grade.
and today, the church force the teens to participate in community/church service, I’m against any form of forced community service in schools or church. That should only be an option in the court system for those who plead guilty of a crime.
“In the RC Diocese of Albany, under former Bishop Hubbard, the Sacrament of Confirmation was declared “optional”, rather than “required”. “ Seriously? I find that hard to believe. What a disgrace. Anyway, I heartily approve of restoring the original order of sacraments and combining confirmation with first communion.
I didn’t even know that was, for lack of a better word, an option.
I had my First Communion at 6 and my Confirmation at 7. We went to a lovely church on a military base with a wonderful priest. He said he wanted to confirm when he could because military families aren’t always living in a place where the child could easily receive the sacrament of Confirmation.
When we were in Denver, my sister was confirmed when she was 12 or 13. My BIL’s nephew (lives in the Seattle area and attended a Catholic HS) wasn’t confirmed until he was 17. They had to get X Palanca letters (IIRC they did a retreat right before they were confirmed and were to read the letters during their 3-day retreat (in which they were seeking to grow closer to God) for inspiration, encouragement, and reflection. I think each of those being confirmed was to get about 4 or 5 letters. I had never written one and it was an interesting and somewhat inspiration experience for me.
I will honestly never understand why people think one should “understand” this sacrament in order to receive it. This is historically unsound reasoning. There is no more reason for this in confirmation than there is in baptism, and any argument about understanding and age of reason for the former would apply equally well to the latter. As a matter of fact, entire Protestant churches have ordered their sacramental life around this principle, as opposed to the Catholic understanding. What I would love to see is a return to the proper method with the sacraments of initiation being given to newborns. There is just no good reason for withholding God’s grace from our children.
**Placing Confirmation at an earlier age before First Communion shows that Confirmation is part of a process of Christian growth, and not a graduation. In this context, religious education would not end with or soon after Confirmation, but would continue (hopefully) to the reception of the Eucharist and beyond. Since the Eucharist is a sacrament to be received on a continuous basis, this leads religious education to an apex which, in turn, is an ongoing part of the Catholic’s life. Also, as the archbishop’s letter notes, “parents will have the chance to prepare their children for Reconciliation, Confirmation and Eucharist at a time when they are more naturally receptive to the formation and the graces being given.” **
This makes a LOT of sense.
I think they will. Remember when you were young and wanted to be a soldier or Superman.
Now these kids will get that chance.
A Soldier for Christ.
Whoever gave you that mistaken information? A pamphlet? Someone who hates the Catholic Church?
The Catholic Church is far removed from the workings of politics.
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