YOUCAT Question n. 206 - Part I. Who can be confirmed, and what is required of a candidate for Confirmation?
(Youcat answer) Any Catholic Christian
who has received the sacrament of Baptism and is in the “state of grace” can be
admitted to Confirmation.
A deepening through CCC
(CCC 1306)
Every baptized person not yet confirmed can and should receive the sacrament of
Confirmation (Cf. CIC, can. 889 § 1). Since Baptism, Confirmation, and
Eucharist form a unity, it follows that "the faithful are obliged to
receive this sacrament at the appropriate time" (CIC, can. 890), for
without Confirmation and Eucharist, Baptism is certainly valid and efficacious,
but Christian initiation remains incomplete.
Reflecting and meditating
(Youcat comment) To be “in the state of grace”
means not to have committed any serious sin (mortal sin). By a serious sin a
person separates himself from God and can be reconciled with God only by making
a good confession. A (young) Christian who is preparing for Confirmation finds
himself in one of the most important phases of his life. He will do everything
possible to grasp the faith with his heart and his understanding; he will pray
alone and with others for the Holy Spirit; he will reconcile himself in every
way with himself, with the people around him, and with God. Confession is part
of this, since it brings one closer to God even if one has not committed a
mortal sin.
(CCC Comment)
(CCC 1309) Preparation for Confirmation should aim
at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more
lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit - his actions, his gifts, and his
biddings - in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic
responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for Confirmation
should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the
universal Church as well as the parish community. The latter bears special
responsibility for the preparation of confirmands (Cf. OC Introduction 3).
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