Tomorrow morning I shall be at Spanish Place for the Traditional Rite Confirmations - my first Saturday off in Lord knows how long! I am thinking about it with enthusiasm, and about my own Confirmation 10 years ago. I was confirmed by the wonderful Bishop Henderson, in the New Rite of course. My Confirmation name was Francis - a name I chose because it is aesthetically pleasing, and because when I was 11 years old I didn't know many Saints. I am yet to actually develop a devotion to St Francis but perhaps this will come in time - I have, at any rate, read about his life. Does anyone know why the age of Confirmation candidates has gone up over the years? I was 11 when I was confirmed, my mother was 8, and my grandmother was even younger I believe...
Being so pious and decorous, the afternoon of my Confirmation, I went home to play Tomb Raider on my computer...
Friday 6 November 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
You were fortunate to have been able to be confirmed at 11 years of age. In our diocese it has been the practice for quite some time to have Confirmation in school year 10 (15+ years) and both our sons had to wait until then and they are both a few years older than you, I think ( currently 25yrs and 28yrs respectively).
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think this is too late. Some of the young people in our sons' Confirmation classes were only attending under duress from parents or even grandparents, and I gather that some had been 'bribed' with promises of computer games or other 'rewards' if they 'went along with it' and 'allowed themeselves' to be confirmed.
Confirmation ought to be done as soon as possible, in my opinion. To be confirmed at age 15/16 or however old is too old, as you say. But I also believe that the candidates should themselves want to be confirmed, because they genuinely believe the truths of Faith - in the case of my sister, she chose not to be confirmed because she didn't and doesn't believe - so at least she was honest. I was surprised that my mother didn't make her to be honest...
ReplyDeleteThe sacrament of confirmation should be given immediately after baptism. I know the Council of Trent links it to the "age of reason", whatever that's supposed to mean, but I can't see how this is anything more than an innovation. When has the reception of the sacraments ever been dependent upon our ability to reason? And don't we all need the graces given to us in the sacrament, even babies? I especially dislike the relatively recent custom of receiving first communion before confirmation. The result of this is that there are now many Catholics who never receive confirmation because it's no longer seen as necessary.
ReplyDeleteI am yet to actually develop a devotion to St Francis but perhaps this will come in time - I have, at any rate, read about his life.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry. The saints choose us first. Some time ago I posted an excerpt from St. Therese of Lisieux's The Story of a Soul that testifies to this.
Does anyone know why the age of Confirmation candidates has gone up over the years?
Beats me. I think it's a bad idea, myself. It seems to me that children need to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation BEFORE adolescence.
Incidentally, it's not as if children are not called upon to give their lives for the Faith. St. Dominic Savio was the first child saint who was not a martyr.