Confirmation Before First Eucharist?

[Lisa]

In the article about Denver's newly-appointed archbishop, it said that Bishop Aquila set a precedent in the Fargo Diocese for children to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at an earlier age and before First Eucharist.

Can anyone provide any insights as to the historial, liturgical, or practical reasoning for this?
What do you all think?
For anyone in the Fargo diocese, how do the children and families see it?

[Archaeology cat]

It's the original order, and the order still in place for those who convert later. Liverpool recently restored the order of the Sacraments, so there children are confirmed and receive first Communion the same year. Confirmations are at Pentecost, with Communions at Corpus Christi.

[qfnol31]

Confirmation used to be conferred with Baptism. I have a feeling that's why the Chrism is still used at baptisms.

I am away from my computer, but I'll see if I can find the Holy Father's response to this later. Essentially there is a movement that has tried to push us back to the original practice as we know it, though there are good arguments for either usage.

Eastern Catholics and Orthodox still practice Confirmation at Baptism (my wife almost experienced this first hand) and they also give Holy Communion to infants.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='Lisa' timestamp='1338313149' post='2437184']
In the article about Denver's newly-appointed archbishop, it said that Bishop Aquila set a precedent in the Fargo Diocese for children to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at an earlier age and before First Eucharist.

Can anyone provide any insights as to the historial, liturgical, or practical reasoning for this?
What do you all think?
For anyone in the Fargo diocese, how do the children and families see it?
[/quote]
Practically, it eliminates confirmation from becoming "Catholic Graduation." Although, at the same time, I've heard people involved in religious ed say it takes away any incentive to even go to religious ed classes, which is a negative. Personally, I think that kids need all the graces they can get, nowadays, though, and waiting until later is too late when they have so much in the world to fight.

I have personally known one person from that diocese who didn't like it, but she also was rather upset that some other things they did at their parish were changed, and those things were liturgical abuses...
On the other hand, I also know a guy who went to that diocese specifically to be a priest (he was ordained last year), rather than the one he grew up in, because of how that diocese was run.

[Archaeology cat]

Didn't the Holy Father encourage this change?

[Archaeology cat]

Guess this is what I was thinking of: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/bishop-aquila-receives-popes-praise-for-reordering-sacraments/

[MissScripture]

[quote name='Archaeology cat' timestamp='1338314296' post='2437205']
Didn't the Holy Father encourage this change?
[/quote]
Here is an article talking about it: [url="http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/bishop-aquila-obtains-papal-approval-for-changing-order-of-sacraments"]http://www.ncregiste...r-of-sacraments[/url]

ETA: Oh, we posted the same article, just from different places.

[EmilyAnn]

[quote name='MissScripture' timestamp='1338313932' post='2437197']
Practically, it eliminates confirmation from becoming "Catholic Graduation." Although, at the same time, I've heard people involved in religious ed say it takes away any incentive to even go to religious ed classes, which is a negative.
[/quote]

That's always been my concern as well. There would have to be some kind of continuing preparation as they got older but I can see it would be too easy for parishes to end up letting later preparation slip.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='EmilyAnn' timestamp='1338315634' post='2437223']
That's always been my concern as well. There would have to be some kind of continuing preparation as they got older but I can see it would be too easy for parishes to end up letting later preparation slip.
[/quote]
I'm not even sure that the parishes would have to let it slip, though. I think a lot of people would just not bother sending their kids. Unless that's what you meant. In which case, I agree.

[EmilyAnn]

[quote name='MissScripture' timestamp='1338315887' post='2437228']
I'm not even sure that the parishes would have to let it slip, though. I think a lot of people would just not bother sending their kids. Unless that's what you meant. In which case, I agree.
[/quote]

That too. My parish priest has a homily a few months ago on how difficult it was to please parents with classes for First Communion nowadays because there was always someone whining about how they had sports or something more important to do than send their kids to the classes. If they weren't compulsory then I imagine a lot of parents wouldn't bother. At least when it's necessary even more reluctant parents will send their kids and so even if the parents are fairly lapsed the kids at least have a chance.

Edited May 29, 2012 by EmilyAnn

[dominicansoul]

If you think about it, on Pentecost Sunday, when the apostles baptized the people, the Holy Spirit immediately came upon those baptized at the same time....

I wonder more what was the reason for the Church to change the order of Sacraments....

[cappie]

[b] [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=4]This what I give to parents: (BTW in Australia Dioceses have had Confirmation before First Holy Communion since 1989)[/size][/font][/b]

[b] Brief History of the Sacrament of Confirmation[/b]

We may discern three main periods in the history of the Rite of Confirmation:[list=1]
[*]the early centuries (2nd to 4th centuries);
[*]the early medieval period (5th to 11th centuries);
[*]the central medieval period to modern times and recent developments.
[/list]
[b] The Early Centuries ( 2nd to 4th Centuries)[/b]

In the 2nd to the 4th centuries, those desiring to be Christians entered into the catechumenate (our R.C.I.A. is patterned after this process) which culminated in the solemn initiation ceremony of the Easter vigil. The initiation rites had this basic structure:[list]
[*]baptism;
[*]post-baptismal anointing;
[*]prayer and imposition of the hands;
[*]anointing the forehead for the gift of the Spirit, i.e., Confirmation.
[/list]
This is the origin of the rite of chrismation which today constitutes the essential rite of confirmation. Confirmation was celebrated immediately after baptism. The prayer, imposition of the hands and the anointing the forehead for the gift of the Spirit constituted the essential rites of confirmation.
[b] The Early Medieval Period (5th to 11th Centuries)[/b]

Around the beginning of the 5th century, the conferring of Confirmation gradually became separated from baptism. In its origins this development was purely practical and in no way involved any doctrinal or theological position. The situation which determined this development was the significant increase in the Christian population over the 4th century following the Peace of Constantine (313 AD), and the consequent spread of organized Christian communities in the smaller towns and countryside.
In these circumstances it proved impossible to maintain the traditional practice of one annual ceremony of initiation at the Easter vigil presided over by the Bishop. Instead, priests were now permitted to administer baptism in the outlying churches and later those baptized were expected to receive confirmation from the bishop either in the cathedral church or when the bishop was visiting the churches of his diocese.
Two observations are important concerning this development. First, it was an attempt to maintain the unity of Christian initiation, and the role of the bishop in it in a very new situation. Second, the development soon proved a rather theoretical solution and it did not work. It became harder, if not impossible for people in the outlying districts to visit the cathedral church to receive confirmation or to receive a visit from their bishop. It was the intention of the church, that those requiring confirmation should receive it as soon as possible after baptism. However, the interval between baptism and confirmation varied immensely, with the tendency over the years for the time gap to increase between the reception of these two sacraments.
[b] The Central Medieval Period to Modern Times (12th Century to the Present)[/b]

From the central medieval period to modern times very little change occurred in the rite of Confirmation. The Second Vatican Council, in its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, called for a revision of the church.s sacramental rites. The rite for Confirmation appeared in 1971. The rite, however, contained little new. However, one of the most significant developments regarding Confirmation in the new rites was the restoration of the catechumenate (O.C.I.A.). This process reintroduced the unified ceremony of Christian initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, for adult converts and children of catechetical age. It thus restored to the church the concept and experience of the unity of baptism and Confirmation as sacraments of initiation bringing about full membership in the church and leading to full participation in the Eucharist where that membership is expressed and celebrated.
The new rite reaffirmed the canonical position that children are confirmed .about the seventh year.. But it went on to state that .for pastoral reasons, Episcopal conferences may choose an age which seems more appropriate,.. The question regarding the age of the candidate is fundamentally a theological one. It must basically be decided in the light of the meaning of confirmation as a sacrament of Christian initiation intimately linked to baptism. According to the theology of the sacrament, it is the pneumatic (belonging to the Divine Spirit) conclusion to baptism; it precedes the Eucharist. As part of Christian initiation confirmation allows us to contemplate the role of the Spirit in our lives.

[LaPetiteSoeur]

In some dioceses, you receive Confirmation in 11th grade. I made mine when I was in 7th, so continued to go to Church and I hadn't "graduated" from anything. In the Orthodox faiths (correct me if I'm wrong), all three sacraments are received at te same time.

[Archaeology cat]

Byzantine Catholics do that, as well (with all three at once). I personally would like to see that, but of course I submit to the Church.

[LaPetiteSoeur]

[quote name='Archaeology cat' timestamp='1338322145' post='2437299']
Byzantine Catholics do that, as well (with all three at once). I personally would like to see that, but of course I submit to the Church.
[/quote]

In my second grade class (in Catholic school), we had a Russian orthodox kid who had already done all of his sacraments of initiation. We were super jealous because he didn't have to do anything at practice!