In our modern age, where the sacred is too often overshadowed by the secular, it is crucial for Catholics, especially those who hold fast to the traditions of Holy Mother Church, to reclaim a proper understanding of the great sacrament of Confirmation. Far too many today treat Confirmation as a mere “graduation” from religious education or a social rite of passage, stripped of its true significance. But for the traditional Catholic, Confirmation is no such trivial affair. It is a powerful sacrament, divinely instituted, in which the soul is strengthened by the Holy Ghost, sealed with an indelible mark, and fortified to live as a soldier of Christ in the Church Militant.
In this article, we will explore the meaning, purpose, and necessity of Confirmation as the Church has always understood it. We will see how this sacred rite, so rich in symbolism and grace, is essential for the Christian who seeks to persevere in the faith and defend it in a hostile world.
The Nature and Purpose of Confirmation
Confirmation is one of the three sacraments of initiation, along with Baptism and the Holy Eucharist, through which the Christian is fully incorporated into the Church. While Baptism cleanses the soul from original sin and makes us children of God, and the Eucharist feeds us with the Body and Blood of Our Lord, Confirmation completes and strengthens the grace first received at Baptism.
Through Confirmation, the soul receives a new and special outpouring of the Holy Ghost, just as the apostles did at Pentecost. It is in this sacrament that the Christian is sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, anointed to bear witness to Christ, and given the courage and fortitude to live out the faith boldly in word and deed. The Catechism of the Council of Trent describes it as the sacrament which makes us “perfect Christians”—ready to fight under the banner of Christ against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
For the traditional Catholic, Confirmation is not optional, nor is it an empty formality. It is a sacred duty and a divine aid, strengthening us to remain faithful amid trials, persecution, and temptation. In an age when the truths of the faith are ridiculed and the moral law scorned, how desperately we need the grace of this sacrament!
The Rite of Confirmation: A Sacred and Ancient Tradition
The traditional rite of Confirmation is a beautiful expression of the Church’s timeless faith. In this rite, the bishop, who alone is ordinarily the minister of the sacrament, lays his hands upon the candidate, invokes the Holy Ghost, and anoints the forehead with holy chrism, making the sign of the cross. This sacred oil, consecrated by the bishop during Holy Week, is a sign of the strength and dignity conferred by the Holy Ghost.
The words pronounced at this moment are simple yet powerful: “I sign thee with the sign of the Cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” With these words, the soul is sealed—a spiritual mark is imprinted that can never be erased. This mark signifies that the confirmed Catholic now belongs more fully to Christ and is bound, with greater obligation, to defend the faith and live as a true disciple.
The bishop then lightly strikes the cheek of the confirmed—a symbolic gesture reminding the Christian to be ready to suffer for the sake of Christ. This gesture, so often misunderstood or omitted in modern ceremonies, is profoundly meaningful. It teaches that the grace of Confirmation is given not for comfort, but for combat.
The Effects of Confirmation
What graces does the sacrament of Confirmation bestow? First and foremost, it strengthens and perfects the sanctifying grace first given in Baptism. The confirmed Christian is more deeply united with the Holy Trinity and is endowed with an increase of the gifts of the Holy Ghost—wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
Confirmation also imparts an indelible character upon the soul. Like Baptism and Holy Orders, this mark is permanent and unrepeatable. It configures the Christian as a soldier of Christ and a witness to the faith. The confirmed Catholic has both the grace and the duty to profess the true faith courageously and to defend it against all error, even at the cost of suffering or death.
Moreover, the sacrament strengthens the Christian to resist temptation, to persevere in virtue, and to grow in holiness. It equips the soul to face the challenges of life not in its own weakness, but with the power of the Holy Ghost. In an age of confusion and moral compromise, how urgently we need these divine aids!
The Role of the Sponsor
In the traditional rite of Confirmation, the candidate is accompanied by a sponsor—one who pledges to assist the confirmed in living out the obligations of the sacrament. Like the godparents at Baptism, the sponsor must be a practicing Catholic in good standing, capable of guiding the newly confirmed in faith and morals.
This is not a role for casual acquaintances or for those chosen merely for social reasons. The sponsor takes on a spiritual responsibility before God, promising to be an example of Catholic living and to support the confirmed in times of difficulty. For the traditional Catholic, this sacred duty is taken seriously, as it concerns the eternal welfare of a soul.
Confirmation: A Call to Battle
Above all, Confirmation is a call to arms—a summons to take one’s place in the Church Militant, the army of Christ on earth. The confirmed Catholic is not called to a life of ease, but to spiritual warfare against the forces of darkness. The world, the flesh, and the devil are real enemies, and the confirmed is given the grace to fight them with courage and fidelity.
It is a tragedy that, in many places today, Confirmation is treated as a mere formality, a cultural milestone, or a graduation from religious formation. The traditional Catholic knows better. Confirmation is the sacrament that prepares the soul for combat and for witness, for perseverance in the truth when all around would abandon it, and for fidelity in a world that despises the Cross of Christ.
The Historical Roots of Confirmation
For the traditional Catholic, one of the beauties of the sacrament of Confirmation lies in its deep roots in the life of the early Church. Confirmation, as we know it today, is intimately connected with the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost, when the apostles, gathered in fear, were filled with divine power and courage to proclaim the Gospel to all nations. This outpouring of the Spirit is not merely commemorated at Confirmation—it is mystically continued in the soul of each Catholic who receives the sacrament.
From apostolic times, the Church has understood Confirmation as the completion of Baptism, conferred by the laying on of hands and anointing, always linked to the bishop, the successor of the apostles. This connection is not incidental. The presence of the bishop reminds us that Confirmation is not a private event but an incorporation into the universal mission of the Church. It binds the individual not only to Christ but to the apostolic authority that safeguards the truth and unity of the faith.
The early Church Fathers, such as St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Ambrose, and St. Augustine, spoke movingly of Confirmation as the moment when the Christian is equipped with the weapons of grace to resist sin and error. The anointing with sacred chrism, they taught, was a visible sign of the invisible strengthening of the soul—a consecration that set the faithful apart as soldiers and witnesses of Christ.
Confirmation and the Crisis of Our Times
Today, more than ever, the traditional Catholic recognizes that the sacrament of Confirmation is urgently needed. We live in an age where the truths of the faith are openly mocked, where immorality is promoted as virtue, and where many baptized Catholics fall away from the Church, unprepared to face the world’s snares.
In times past, Catholics knew that Confirmation was not something to delay without grave reason. Parents and pastors saw it as vital that young Catholics be fortified as early as possible so that they could resist the temptations that come with adolescence and beyond. The sacrament was seen as spiritual armor, urgently needed before the battles of life intensified.
Yet today, how often do we see Confirmation treated as an afterthought—delayed unnecessarily, reduced to a social milestone, or stripped of its spiritual seriousness? The traditional Catholic laments this loss of understanding and prays for a renewed sense of the sacrament’s importance. We must recover the truth that Confirmation is not optional for those who wish to persevere in the state of grace and fight the good fight of faith.
The Holy Ghost and the Gifts Strengthened in Confirmation
At Confirmation, the Holy Ghost bestows an increase of His seven gifts—wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. These are not mere pious sentiments; they are supernatural helps that guide the soul in every circumstance of life.
- Wisdom enables the confirmed Catholic to see all things in the light of eternity, to value heavenly goods above earthly goods.
- Understanding grants insight into the mysteries of the faith, helping the soul penetrate divine truths more deeply.
- Counsel assists in discerning God’s will in difficult situations, providing right judgment in moral decisions.
- Fortitude strengthens the soul to overcome fear and to endure trials for the sake of Christ.
- Knowledge directs us to see the vanity of worldly things and to recognize God’s hand in all creation.
- Piety deepens our filial love for God and our devotion to His service.
- Fear of the Lord fills us with reverence for God’s majesty and a dread of offending Him through sin.
These gifts are essential. They are the spiritual tools by which the Christian can navigate a world darkened by error and sin. In Confirmation, the Holy Ghost comes not as a gentle breeze, but as the mighty wind of Pentecost—ready to empower the soul to bear witness in an age that so desperately needs light.
The Traditional Practice of Preparation
In keeping with the gravity of the sacrament, the Church has always required that candidates for Confirmation be properly instructed and well-disposed. Preparation traditionally included not only catechesis on the doctrines of the faith, but also prayer, fasting, confession, and serious reflection. The aim was to ensure that the soul received the sacrament worthily, with the proper interior disposition to receive and cooperate with the grace imparted.
For the traditional Catholic, preparation for Confirmation is not a formality but a vital spiritual exercise. It is a time to deepen one’s faith, to renew one’s commitment to Christ, and to pray for the strength to live according to the duties of the sacrament. Parents, pastors, and sponsors all share in the responsibility of ensuring that candidates approach Confirmation with reverence and understanding, not as a cultural event, but as a sacred moment of grace.
The Indelible Mark of the Soldier of Christ
Finally, it is worth emphasizing again the indelible character imparted by Confirmation. Just as a soldier bears the mark of his allegiance to his king, so too the confirmed Catholic bears upon his soul the mark of his loyalty to Christ the King. This mark is permanent; it sets the soul apart, forever identified with the mission of Christ’s Church.
Whether a person remains faithful or turns away, the character of Confirmation remains. On the Day of Judgment, this mark will testify before God either to the soul’s fidelity or to its betrayal. The confirmed Catholic carries a great privilege—and a great responsibility. This mark is not merely an honor but a call to lifelong service, to the defense of the faith, and to the practice of heroic virtue.
Conclusion
The sacrament of Confirmation is a priceless treasure of Holy Mother Church, one that no Catholic should take lightly. In it, we are sealed by the Holy Ghost, strengthened with His gifts, and called to live as true soldiers of Christ, ready to endure whatever trials may come for the sake of the truth.
For the traditional Catholic, Confirmation is not a ceremony to be checked off a list or a step toward adulthood in a worldly sense. It is a divine commissioning, a source of grace that equips us to live and die as faithful witnesses of the Gospel. May we cherish this sacrament, prepare for it with care, and live out its grace with courage, so that at the end of our earthly battles, we may receive the crown of everlasting life.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus! Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love!