Confirmation – A Brief History

In the early Church, adults who desired to become members of the Christian community participated in a three-year process called the Catechumenate. This was a time of intense study and preparation, which often took place in secret because Christianity was illegal in the Roman Empire and Christians feared persecution from Roman authorities. A sponsor guided the Catechumen through the process and then presented him/her to the community and the bishop at the time of baptism. The sponsor guaranteed the sincerity of the person who was asking for baptism, vouching for his/her complete and total dedication to the work of Christ. It was a process that involved both an individual (“I decide to join Christianity”) and a communal decision (“We accept you into our community”). In this way, the role of the Christian community and the individual sponsor were vital in the initial and ongoing evangelization of new members.

In the very beginning of the Christian Church, baptism, confirmation and Eucharist took place in a single celebration on the Easter Vigil. The culmination of this three-year process from paganism was the ritual action of those converting being led through the waters in a pool outside the church, where they were baptized by priests and deacons out of view of the assembly (since they were naked). It was here that they received baptism and the initial anointing. The second anointing was done by the bishop (who had remained with the gathered assembly). It was the bishop who “confirmed” the baptism and ratified and accepted the conversion of the individual. After the confirmation, the assembly gathered at the Eucharistic table. This would have been the very first experience of Eucharist for those newly baptized and confirmed.

As Christianity grew, entire families were converted at one time, which included the baptism of infants. When Christianity became legal in 313 A.D. and eventually became the official religion of the Roman Empire in 380 A.D., the three-year process of the Catechumenate became too cumbersome because so many pagans were converting to Christianity. Since society itself was taking on a Christian identity, it was believed that those who converted could learn about becoming Christian after they were baptized. Persecutions had ended and along with that had ended the emphasis on the secrecy surrounding initiation of new members.

With the increase in baptisms, priests were allowed to baptize, but required to wait for the “confirming” of that baptism until a bishop could come to the community to do the actual “Confirmation.” Because travel was dangerous, roads were poor, and bishops few, many years often passed between the baptism of a person and his/her confirmation.

Current Understanding of the Sacrament

Now through an accident of history, we have a separate sacrament, which gives us an opportunity for the individual to ratify and accept the Church—which the Church solemnizes and accepts. In confirmation one willingly assumes an active participation in the Church’s apostolate, therefore there is a great deal to be said for waiting until the candidates are not only aware of what they are assuming but also are willing to assume it. The Church and individual are mutually confirming belief in one another. This “confirmation” assumes a maturity in Christ, not merely passively baptized and attendant at Mass, but actively engaged in doing the work of building the kingdom.