Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute
the 'Sacraments of Initiation'. Through the Sacrament of Confirmation
we receive the Holy Spirit to make us strong and perfect Christians and
soldiers of Jesus Christ.
Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the
Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation,
incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church,
associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the
Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds.
In the Eastern Church this sacrament is administered immediately after
Baptism and is followed by participation in the Eucharist. This tradition
highlights the unity of the three sacraments of Christian initiation. In the
Latin/Roman Church this sacrament is administered when the age of reason has
been reached, and its celebration is ordinarily reserved to the bishop, thus
signifying that this sacrament strengthens the ecclesial bond.
A candidate for Confirmation who has attained the age of reason must profess
the faith, be in the state of grace, have the intention of receiving the
sacrament, and be prepared to assume the role of disciple and witness to
Christ, both within the ecclesial community and in temporal affairs.
The essential rite of Confirmation is anointing the forehead of the baptized
with sacred chrism, together with the laying on of the bishop's hand and the
words: "Accipe signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti" (Be sealed with the Gift of
the Holy Spirit).
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