Confirmation is The essence of the sacrament, features in different directions of Christianity

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Confirmation - this concept can be found in different areas of human activity. Most often this word is used in a religious context, but it can also be found in economics, international and commercial law, and in military affairs. Let's understand what a confirmation is.

Etymology

So, what does "confirmation" mean? This word is translated from Latin as "strengthening", "affirmation" or "confirmation". In other words, we are talking about the fact that a final decision is made on some important issue.

In the military sphere, confirmation means the final decision on a court case. Sometimes the sentence itself was called that. In pre-revolutionary Russia, there was a concept of confirmation of a sentence. In this case, it was about the approval process of his superiors.

In economics, this word refers to the procedure for accepting a contract, when one of the parties fully accepts the conditions offered by the second. International law uses the concept to characterize the process of approval of anydocument by the highest authority to whose competence it belongs.

The concept of confirmation in religion

This sacred rite in Christianity refers to the sacraments. This means that in this case divine grace is given to a person in a special way, secretly, that is, invisibly. The Sacrament marks the meeting of a person with the Lord, which opens the way to become like the Creator, to approach him spiritually. In Christianity, it is believed that sacred rites have a miraculous transforming power that brings a person closer to God. The performer of all the sacraments is the Lord, and the clergyman acts only as a conductor, a kind of instrument for accomplishing God's will.

The Origins of Confirmation

The sacrament of confirmation, or chrismation, is the receipt of the seal of the Holy Spirit, this special gift, which is the beginning of a new life, affirmed after baptism. The first Christians received this gift through ordination from the apostles themselves. With an increase in the number of those wishing to accept the sacred gift, the sacrament began to be performed by priests.

In Catholicism, only the laying on of hands was originally used, and only in the thirteenth century was it replaced by the anointing with chrism. Despite some changes that have taken place in the form of the rite, the right to perform it until now belongs only to bishops.

Differences in religious understanding

Confirmation (this concept, as already noted, is found among Christians and is a sacrament) is performedclergyman. He says certain prayers with the laying of hands on the head of the initiate and anointing him with myrrh. Confirmation is the name used by Catholics and Protestants. For the Orthodox, the sacrament is defined by the word "chrismation".

Etymological differences reflect the essence of the differences in the rules for performing rituals. There are several. The first is the period of completion. In Orthodoxy, chrismation follows immediately after baptism.

Confirmation in the Catholic Church occurs later, when a child reaches a conscious age or, as Catholics say, "the age of understanding", when a person can already make a conscious choice. As a rule, this age begins at the age of seven, but there are no rigid limits set by the canon.

Second - Catholic confirmation requires special training, which takes place in the form of classes. Then something like an exam for knowledge of the law of God takes place. And then the bishop performs the sacrament itself.

The Orthodox do not have such a preparatory practice, since, as a rule, chrismation occurs in infancy.

There is also a difference in who performs the sacrament. In the Catholic tradition, this is the bishop. In Orthodoxy, he retained the right to prepare the world for anointing. As a rule, it is prepared either by the Patriarch or by the bishop with his blessing. The very procedure of the sacrament can be performed not only by the bishop, but also by the priest (priest, archpriest).

Catholic Confirmation

Outwardly, all stages of preparation forthe sacrament, its behavior and celebration are the procedure for introducing a teenager to the church. This is a special holiday in the life of Catholics, which is celebrated with restraint by the whole family. The sacrament is preceded by a fairly lengthy preparation, during which the teenager learns prayers, psalms, and fragments of gospel texts.

The service at which the confirmation takes place is not combined with the mass, but takes place at a separate time. It is usually attended by close relatives and friends. Sometimes the ceremony is held for several families at once. It is performed by the bishop. Upon completion of the sacrament, the anointed one receives a special document, symbolizing his joining the church.

The passage of the sacrament of confirmation among Catholics is solemnly celebrated. There are no special traditions here. Everything is determined by the desire of the parents to make this day special in the memory of the child who received the sacrament.

Confirmation in Lutheranism

It is carried out, as in Catholicism, already at a more mature age. The only difference is that here people who have reached the age of 14 are allowed to visit it. In Protestantism, confirmation is not a sacrament, but is defined as a rite that demonstrates a person's conscious confession of the faith that he accepts.

The procedure is similar to the Catholic one. It is preceded by careful preparation, which involves the study of Scripture, memorization of prayers, hymns, individual fragments, the history of Protestantism. Teenagers demonstrate knowledgeat the Sunday service where the confirmation procedure takes place. This rite makes it possible to make sure that a person professes the teachings of the church to which he joins.

After passing it, a special document is awarded, which is nominal. It indicates the date of birth, baptism, place and time of confirmation. This rite is followed by congratulations and a special celebration.