Religious significance

By Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese

19 May 2005

What is Confirmation?
The Sacrament of Confirmation is a sacrament of initiation into the Catholic Church. It is the third sacrament administered in the process of initiation after the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist.

The Sacrament of Confirmation can be seen as bringing a person into a more adult relationship with the Church. This makes them true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed. Through Confirmation a person receives the special strength of the Holy Spirit to live this out. 

The signs and the rite of confirmation
Candidates are anointed with the Oil of Chrism. By the anointing the candidates receive the “mark,” the seal of the Holy Spirit. 

This has a strong historical significance. A seal is a symbol of a person, a sign of a personal authority, ownership of an object.  Hence soldiers were marked with their leader’s seal.

In Biblical symbolism oil is a sign of abundance and joy; it cleanses (anointing before and after a bath) and limbers (the anointing of athletes) and oil is a sign of healing, because it is soothing to injuries.  Anointing with oil has all these meanings in the sacramental life. 

By Confirmation Christians, that is, those who are anointed, share more completely in the mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit, so that their lives may give off “the aroma of Christ”.

The celebration of Confirmation
The Liturgy of Confirmation sees the Bishop extend his hands over the whole group of candidates.  Since the time of the apostles this gesture has signified the gift of the Spirit.  The Bishop invokes the outpouring of the Holy Spirit with a prayer. 

The essential rite of the Sacrament follows.  This is where the Sacrament of Confirmation is conferred through the anointing with chrism on the forehead, which is done by the laying on of the hand and through the words: “Be sealed with the Holy Spirit”.  The sign of peace that concludes the rite of the Sacrament signifies and demonstrates ecclesial communion with the Bishop or Priest and with all the faithful.

The effects of Confirmation
The effect of the Sacrament of Confirmation is the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit as granted to the apostles on Pentecost.

With excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church