“Turning to the present administration of the sacrament, Bishop Aquila questioned whether the common placement of confirmation in late adolescence treats it as “a reward, or worse, as something earned or deserved for attendance and work in a parish catechetical program.”
“Should the fear of not receiving a sacrament ever be used as a means to keep a young person involved in the life of the Church? Should the gift and strengthening of the Holy Spirit be denied young persons in their most formative years?” he asked.
Bishop
Aquila also wondered whether the special attention and length of preparation
given to confirmation makes many perceive it to be more important than Baptism
and the Eucharist.
The view that confirmation is a way for young people to make a personal commitment to their faith “distorts” the sacrament, he said.
“Confirmation is not marked by a choice to believe or not believe in the Catholic faith.
Rather as disciples we are chosen by God to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit, to be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit generously bestowed by God, and we are called to cooperate with that grace,” he explained.
Pope
Benedict endorsed the move in comments
he made to Bishop Aquila during his visit to Rome,
“I was very surprised in what the Pope said to me, in terms of how happy he was that the sacraments of initiation have been restored to their proper order of baptism, confirmation then first Eucharist,” said Bishop Aquila, after meeting Pope Benedict on March 8.It is precisely the attitude of the Sacrament as a ‘personal commitment of the Faith’ that is so prevalent in many of the Confirmation prep/Faith Formation programs today and one which needs to be corrected. Notice how crucial this Sacrament is to one’s salvation as stated by St. Thomas and then consider the number of students today who refuse this Sacrament as they have fallen victim to the secular age around them. Retooling the current programs is nothing short of rearranging the proverbial chairs on the deck of the Titanic. What is needed is full restoration of the traditional ordering of the Sacrament to adolescent children. The Sacrament is not merely for students to make an affirmation of their Faith, or lack thereof, but the necessary grace to engage in spiritual combat. “whereas in Confirmation he receives power to do those things which pertain to the spiritual combat with the enemies of the Faith.” From the Summa Theologica, Article 5 on Confirmation.
This decision will ultimately have to come from the Bishops
as they are the ones who set the overall policy in their Dioceses for the faith
formation coordinators to follow. But it is the pastors and coordinators who
can encourage this change as they are the ones with firsthand knowledge of the
crisis.
Here is more teaching from St. Thomas Aquinas on the
Sacrament of Confirmation
Article 1:
Whether Confirmation is a Sacrament
Reply to
Objection 3. As stated above (Question 65, Article 4), all the sacraments are
in some way necessary for salvation: but some, so that there is no salvation
without them; some as conducing to the perfection of salvation; and thus it is that Confirmation is
necessary for salvation: although salvation is possible without it, provided
it be not omitted out of contempt.
Article 8. Whether this sacrament should be given to all?
Reply to Objection 2. As
stated above, the age of the body does not affect the soul. Consequently even
in childhood man can attain to the perfection of spiritual age, of which it is
written (Wisdom 4:8): "Venerable old age is not that of long time, nor
counted by the number of years." And
hence it is that many children, by reason of the strength of the Holy Ghost
which they had received, fought bravely for Christ even to the shedding of
their blood.
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