www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology The Sequence of the Sacraments of Initiation

Dear All;

I would like to know more about the Eastern Churches' theological reasons for observing the sequence: Baptism-Chrismation-Communion when receiving people (whether infants or adults) into the Church.

Of course, Baptism has to be the first Sacrament to be bestowed, but I'd like to know why, in the East, Chrismation / Confirmation always precedes Communion. Of course, that is also the way it used to be in the West, and the way it now is for adult converts to the Roman Catholic Church, but from the reign of Pope St. Pius X until c. 1970, (and until today for young people) the normal sequence for initiation into the Church was / is First Communion followed by Confirmation (months or years later).

I'm currently compiling a little essay on this topic but my sources are modern Western liturgists, and I can't help but wonder if I'm getting the riches of tradition from them.

Dear Asian Pilgrim,

I find the question a bit strange. What justification does the Eastern Church have to have for simply following the practise that it always has followed and that the Roman Church followed for 1900 years? It is rather the innovators that have the problem of reasoning out why they decided to change a universal practise of nearly two millennia.

However, I know that you asked for "theological reasons for observing the sequence: Baptism-Chrismation-Communion" so I shall just say this:

I think that the hard and fast distinction between Baptism and Chrismation/Confirmation as separate Mysteries is an idea that is much later than the early practise of the Church. Chrismation is the completion of Baptism. In a sense, while not denying the legitimacy of counting them as two of the Seven Sacraments, they are two parts of one Mystery.

For purely practical reasons they became separated in the Western Church, which sought to underscore the episcopal role in Confirmation by ordinarily insisting that the Bishop perform it himself. The Bishop could not be present for each Baptism, so that Sacrament was completed en masse whenever the Bishop could make a visitation to each locale. Initially, confirmation might be separated from Baptism by weeks or months, perhaps no more than a year. Then the interval became longer and longer due to more parishes and less Bishops. After a while theological justification for the long separation was sought. The idea that 'understanding' was needed for the reception of the sacrament was introduced. Despite this, the Roman Church did not dare to introduce the novel routine practise of communing Baptised Christians before they had been Confirmed for 1900 years.

As you know, the Eastern Church kept the episcopal connection of Chrismation by having a presbyter perform the Mystery with Holy Chrism consecrated by the Bishop. The idea that 'understanding' is necessary for the reception of Chrismation or Holy Communion is as foreign to the original practise of the Church as insisting that 'understanding' is necessary for Baptism. It goes without saying that Orthodox Christians cannot understand how the Western Church communes children before they are confirmed.

Fr David Straut

asianpilgrim:

Christ is Risen!! Indeed He is Risen!!

The break in the Apostolic sequence is, as you state, from the time of Pope St. Pius X and was done in 1910 by a papal indult. Prior to that, people waited until they were confirmed. I have that from my own great grandmother who had to wait until about the age of 12 to receive her First Holy Communion.

The reasons that His Holiness had for giving this indult to the Latin Church was that he felt that children should begin to receive the Lord earlier than was the custom at that time: that's where the "age of reason" at 7 comes in. I had this bit of my own research confirmed by a former pastor who was for a time a seminary professor.

Ordinarily Baptism does not admit one to the Mysteries of the Eucharist. Confirmation/Chrismation does because it completes Baptism by sealing it with the Holy Spirit.

In Christ,

BOB

I think it would be easier to just go back to the ancient tradition of the West, which is to receive all three Sacraments of Entry at the time of Baptism.

I've read Pope St. Pius X's reasons for admitting young children to Holy Communion and all these reasons justly apply to infants too.

Asianpilgrim:

Couldn't agree more but there's a hitch.

With our legalistic attitudes, there would probably never again be anyone trained in the Faith. Our recently retired Director of Religious Education told me about her attendance at a conference in a diocese where children are confirmed at Baptism and make their First Holy Communion at age 7. She told me that they have nothing with which to encourage or force people to send their chidlren to further religious instruction. Essentially the children in that diocese cease to have religous instruction after the second grade. We already have the situation in my sister's diocese where her son was confirmed in the seventh grade. There is nothing more--no more programs.

I don't believe we should ever stop learning about the Lord and His life, but I seem to stand alone in so many quarters. We still have that "what do I have to do" attitude so ingrained in our people.

BOB

If the Holy Mysteries of Initiation in the Roman Catholic Church are to be re-established in their rightful Apostolic order, then maybe Rome should invent another reason for children to continue their religious education.

Ah, got it.

Marriage

Engage couples in the Catholic Church should not be able to obtain a sacramental marriage until they have passed a test certifying that they have attained at least a basic knowledge of Christianity equivalent to what a junior in college should know, plus ...

The seven Holy Ecumenical Councils
The seven Holy Mysteries
The Divine Liturgy
A repentant attitude
A desire for heaven
An understanding of theosis

Some (or maybe all) Catholic dioceses currently mandate a marriage preparation course like Engaged Encounter.

However, that is only one short weekend.
What is a 15 week course compared to a life-long marriage?

It would be wonderful to mandate that all Catholic College students take at least two courses at the college level to prepare them for marriage and a deeper understanding of their faith.

When I was attending a Catholic university, we had to take a theology course once a year. Every semester we had to take either a philosophy or a theology course.

Maybe at the elementary, junior high, and high school level, the children could be tested at least every two years. If they complete these tests successfully, then they might get a waiver from taking the college classes.

Of course, I am an educator.

Elizabeth,

Do you realize that what you're calling for here would mean a reduction by some 60-70% in the number of couples getting married in the Catholic Church? Right now, I would venture that at least that many get married in the Catholic Church for one of two reasons: either to make their parents happy, or because there's "something nice" about a church wedding.

Then again, doing away with this hypocrisy might not be a bad thing!


Peace,
Deacon Richard

Does anyone think that this might just be the step that causes a huge hemorrhage of people out fo the Latin Church and into nowhere?

We've got, like so many communities, many "culture Catholic," "habit Catholics," and others who form the group. There are, like a greenhouse, vessels of various sizes filled with as much faith as they can or want to hold. I rememeber the saying of St. John Chrysostom that "thousands and thousands of people crowd the churches, and of those thousands only a few hundred understand what is going on, and of those few hundred only a handful take that knowledge and come to their salvation." The hope is that the Gospel will penetrate the hearts of many more even if it is by hearing it time after time--taht somehow more will be moved to take the baptismal commitment made by parents and make it their own.

Even now with our own diocesan program that requires education to the junior year of high school there are many who drop out as soon as they get off to university and never re-appear until they want to be married or have a child to be baptised.

Somehow, we've got to reach these people with evangelization but the task seems to be short-circuited by the pablum that passes for religious education: the main theme is that if you "love" enough everything else will either fall into place or doesn't matter. I will say that it is not for lack of young people being unwilling to learn. I taught a religious education class one year and one parent told me her child learned more in that one year than in the whole six previous combined and that I demanded more than any class in the public schools even though we only met twice a month for ten months. So there is a field to be planted in and a harvest to be anticipated.

In Christ,

BOB

The Latin Canon Law allows confirmation at the age of discretion, so it could be administered prior to first communion for children. It is a mystery to me how the American Bishops' Conference can justify delaying confirmation as late as age 16. Here's the section of canon law.

I think there was some interest a few decades ago in restoring the traditional order of sacraments of initiation but this has largely fallen by the wayside.

Yoohoo, AsianPilgrim? You started this thread. Any comments on what all of us have written in answer to your question? Perhaps you have lost interest?

Fr David Straut

This 're-ordering' is in fact being done in the UK . Many RC Dioceses now do Confirm Children about 6 months before their First Confession and First Holy Communion.

This is precisely what is done in the Byzantine Catholic jurisdiction to which I belong. About 10 years ago, I remember hearing an RC deacon argue in favor of delaying reception of First Eucharist until after Confirmation-thus pushing it back till after age 12, instead of returning to the original discipline! I told him what we did, and that I thought that the West was trying to "re-invent the wheel". Don't think my comments went over too well.

Dn. Robert

Well, if that becomes the case, the young people in my diocese will have two Communions--First and Last, together. Confirmation takes place in the spring of the junior year of high school at about age 17. And with the exodus of young people once they leave home for university, one might as well forget it all and just resign oneself to having no young people around.

Another interesting point is what we'd do for altar servers since it's my understanding that one cannot serve until one has received his First Holy Communion.

BOB

That is very good news indeed. Would that it were so on this side of the Atlantic.

Fr David Straut