On confirmation from inspiration a Pastoral Program of the Church in Poland for 2017/2018

Andrzej Żądło

Wydział Teologiczny, UŚ

Abstract

The inspiration to write an article on the above topic was the publication by the Pastoral Commission Conference of the Polish Episcopate of the first part of a two-year pastoral program of the Church in Poland for the years 2017–2019. This two-year program is called „The Spirit Who Strengthens Love”, while the first part which inspired us is entitled „We are filled with the Holy Spirit”. The content of the article consists of seven points. The first is devoted to the essence of Confirmation, the way it is administered in the oldest tradition of the Church and the evolutionary changes introduced to it. The second one touches upon the question of the minister of Confirmation, which in the Western Church (as opposed to the Eastern) has always been the Bishop. The third point deals with new elements introduced successively to the ordinances of confirmation – especially concerning the act of anointing with chrism, introduced to the rite under the influence of the eastern chrismatio, and also assigning to the sacrament the name confirmatio. The fourth point acquaints us with the practice of administering the sacrament of confirmation – from administering it during one, indivisible rite of Christian initiation (immediately after baptism and before the Eucharist), to today’s conditions in which the young person to be Confirmed was previously baptized in childhood. The fifth point asks and tries to answer the question as to whether there is a so-called sacrament of Christian maturity, which is what Confirmation is considered today and how it is taught. The sixth point acquaints us with the effects and tasks that flow from the fact of administering/receiving confirmation. Whereas the seventh formulates some remarks and pastoral requirements.

Keywords:

anointing, chrism, Christian initiation, confirmation, laying on of hands, mark, pastoral programs, steward, strengthening