I had the privilege of spending some time in Rome during the month of February, serving as chaplain to a choir tour and enjoying the hospitality of the Crosier community at S. Giorgio in Velabro. Part of that trip included attending the consistory at which Pope Francis created a new set of cardinals, a ceremony at which Emeritus Pope Bendict XVI was also present. Obviously I was not able to keep up with my article-by-article reading of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, but I hope to return to a more regular reading today.<\/p>\n
Vatican website translation:<\/p>\n
71. The rite of confirmation is to be revised and the intimate connection which this sacrament has with the whole of Christian initiation is to be more clearly set forth; for this reason it is fitting for candidates to renew their baptismal promises just before they are confirmed.
\nConfirmation may be given within the Mass when convenient; when it is given outside the Mass, the rite that is used should be introduced by a formula to be drawn up for this purpose.<\/p>\n
Latin text:<\/p>\n
71. Ritus Confirmationis recognoscatur etiam ut huius Sacramenti intima connexio cum tota initiatione christiana clarius eluceat; quapropter renovatio promissionum Baptismi convenienter ipsam Sacramenti susceptionem praecedet.<\/strong> Slavishly literal translation:<\/p>\n 71. The Rite of Confirmation is also to be reviewed so that the intimate connection of this Sacrament with the entirety of Christian Initiation might be brought into the light more clearly; on account of which the renewal of the promises of Baptism might properly precede the very reception of the Sacrament.<\/p>\n Confirmation, as the occasion warrants, can be conferred within Mass; however for the rite which is used outside of Mass, a formula to be employed in style of an introduction is to be prepared.<\/p>\n The Council Fathers give very few directives concerning the reform\/renewal of the Rite of Confirmation for the Roman Rite, but their overarching guideline is clear: Confirmation is to be considered within the context of the other Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, [first] Eucharist). In addition to the decree of promulgation dated 22 August 1971 from the Congregation for Divine Worship, Pope Paul VI also issued an Apostolic Constitution concerning the Sacrament of Confirmation entitled \u201cDivinae Consortium Naturae\u201d and dated 15 August 1971. In that Apostolic Constitution he decreed and constituted by his Supreme Apostolic Authority that from this time forward in the Latin Church (Roman Rite) \u201cthe Sacrament of Confirmation is conferred by the anointing of Chrism on the forehead, which is done by the imposition of hands, and by the words: \u2018Receive the sign of the Gift of the Holy Spirit.\u2019\u201d This declaration attempted to mediate between a school of thought that held that the central sign of the sacrament was the anointing with chrism and another school of thought that held that the central sign of the sacrament was the imposition of hands. In addition, the pope changed the verbal formula by which the sacrament was conferred from \u201cI seal you with the sign of the cross and I confirm you with the chrism of salvation in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit\u201d to the text given above on the basis of historical scholarship and deepened reflection on the meaning of the sacrament.<\/p>\n Pray Tell<\/em> readers may wish to discuss: 1) how well the reform of the rite of the sacrament of Confirmation has been received in the Roman Rite; 2) how clearly we have catechized people about the meaning of the sacrament; 3) what further reforms might be appropriate for inculturating the celebration of this sacrament.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Council Fathers give very few directives concerning the reform\/renewal of the Rite of Confirmation for the Roman Rite, but their overarching guideline is clear: Confirmation is to be considered within the context of the other Sacraments of Initiation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[3814,32],"tags":[2661],"class_list":["post-24855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-re-reading-sacrosanctum-concilium","category-vatican-ii","tag-sacrosanctum-concilium"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n Confirmatio, pro opportunitate, intra Missam conferri potest; ad ritum autem extra Missam quod attinet, paretur formula ad modum introductionis adhibenda.<\/strong><\/p>\n