- Historically, confirmation has been the time when the Holy Ghost was "given" to those who were already baptized. This was to make them "soldiers of Christ," and was a self-aware, conscious decision made by the person being confirmed. As the church has changed over time, the ritual has, in some denominations, become less specific about exactly what is going on while one is being confirmed. Some churches still view it as an anointing of the Holy Spirit, while others believe it is a more general declaration of faith.
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Annointing is a key part of many confirmation rites.Confirmation symbols are the rites that are performed during the confirmation ritual. These symbols are the "laying on" or "imposition" of hands, which means that a religious figure--usually a bishop, priest or minister--physically touches those being confirmed. During this time, all pray for guidance from God or the Holy Spirit. This symbol is followed by anointing with a chrism--a blessed mixture of olives and balsam--which indicates that the Holy Spirit now dwells within the heart of the person who is being confirmed. - Depending on the denomination, the symbols of confirmation are performed with more or less ceremony. Less conservative churches may eliminate the anointing all together, and some denominations ask questions to each individual person being confirmed that require them to promise to serve God and keep the Holy Spirit in their hearts. In more traditional services, the bishop or other authority figure will do all the talking and often adhere to a time-honored script.
- Confirmation is an ancient tradition and a valued rite of passage. Older children and teenagers who are confirmed often feel a renewed sense of involvement with their faith, and a new sense of responsibility to their church and God. This can help keep teens and young adults involved in the church at a time in their lives when leaving may be very tempting.
- Once a person has received the symbols of confirmation, they are considered to have received "additional grace" by the Catholic church. This means that when they were confirmed, they were already in a state of grace and ready to be more blessed by the Holy Spirit. In other denominations, these symbols indicate a readiness to assume greater responsibilities within the bureaucracy of the church or permission to assume new leadership roles in the community or congregation.
- Many people think that the symbols of confirmation are laid out in the Bible. However, in truth, even Biblical scholars who wrote the "Catholic Encyclopedia" admit that the ritual as it is performed today is not found anywhere in the Bible. However, there are multiple references to a ceremony performed in addition to baptism that blessed the apostles and others with the Holy Spirit, so there is some foundation for the symbols of confirmation in Biblical texts.
