The meaning of the word "confirmation". Confirmation is a religious ritual or a concept from judicial practice

4. CONFIRMATION OF THE DEVIL Perhaps the most surprising of all the characteristics of the Antichrist is his unique calling. Also St. John called our attention to the dual nature of the antichrist spirit when he said: “Now many antichrists have appeared... They have gone out from us, but not

Confirmation

Confirmation Confirmation. - Catholics call it by this name. the sacrament of anointing, performed among them necessarily by a bishop and not simultaneously with baptism, as among the Orthodox, but in the later years of childhood and adolescence. Protestants who do not recognize the sacraments

Confirmation

Confirmation of the verdict

CONFIRMATION

CONFIRMATION For Catholics, the rite of confirmation occurs when children reach the age of 2 or 12; for Protestants, when they are a year or two older. However, if a person did not undergo the confirmation ceremony during adolescence, it can be carried out at any age, and for those who decide

§93. Confirmation

§93. Confirmation See the literature on baptism, especially H?fling, and Zezschwitz: Der Katechumenat (first volume of his System der Katechetik). Leipzig, 1863. In the first centuries of the church, confirmation was closely connected with baptism as the completion of this act, especially in relation to adults. When is baptism

§72. Convert Training and Confirmation

§72. Training of converts and confirmation I. Cyril (????????) of Jerusalem (315 - 386): 18 Catechetical Lectures addressed to converts (?????????? ???????? ???) and 5 Mystagical Lectures addressed to the newly baptized. Best edition: Toutt?e, Par. 1720, reprint: Migne, Patrol. Gr. vol. 33.Augustine (died 430): De Catechizandis

The basis of the church cult is sacraments- visible signs of the invisible grace of God. The sacraments are the actions established by Jesus Christ for the good and salvation of people. Their symbolism helps believers realize God's love for people. By participating in these actions, a person, according to the teachings of the Church, receives grace-filled help from above.

Catholic Church, like the Orthodox, recognizes seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation (or confirmation), eucharist, repentance, consecration of oil (or anointing of the sick), priesthood and marriage.

The understanding of the meaning of these sacraments in the Catholic Church is similar to that of the Orthodox. There are only partial differences in the interpretation of their individual aspects. The historically established external forms of the implementation of the sacraments and some church legal regulations associated with them also differ.

According to the faith of the Church, the sacrament is performed by none other than God; it is only carried out through the mediation of an earthly minister - a bishop or priest. According to the teachings of the Church, at baptism a person joins the sanctifying grace of God, from which the entire human race fell in the Fall, and is cleansed of original sin, and if baptism is accepted at a conscious age, then of all his previous sins. Baptism regenerates a person and introduces him into the Church - into the family of God's children. There are some differences between baptism in the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. If Orthodoxy practices triple immersion of the person being baptized in water (in special cases it is replaced by a libation of water), then among Catholics of the Latin rite, baptism is performed by pouring a libation of water three times on the head of the person being baptized.

The Catholic Church, like the Orthodox Church, instructs believers to baptize children soon after birth. Baptism, therefore, occurs according to the faith of the parents, who are responsible for the further Christian upbringing of the child. Therefore, in cases where the parents are not sufficiently prepared for this, the Catholic priest may postpone baptism if the baby’s life is not in danger. Adults who wish to be baptized must prepare for the sacrament, that is, undergo catechesis.

Its timing is different in different local churches(in Russia - one year), and in some cases they are set individually. During catechesis, the candidate (called a catechumen, or catechumen) must learn the fundamentals of the faith and become convinced of the seriousness of his intention to enter the Church. There is a special rite of entry into the ranks of the catechumens of the Church, test rituals - skrutinii, when the candidate confirms his readiness to become a Christian before the priest and the community. Before baptism, he publicly renounces Satan and evil and declares his intention to confess Christian faith. Usually baptism is performed by a priest, but if necessary, any believer can do it.

Confirmation or Confirmation. The word confirmation translated from Latin means “affirmation”, “strengthening”, since, according to the teachings of the Church, through this sacrament a Christian is strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit, acquiring His grace-filled gifts and thereby uniting even more closely with the Church. The outward sign of confirmation is the anointing with holy chrism, which marks the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Unlike the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, in which confirmation is performed immediately after baptism (including infants), in the Latin Church confirmation is usually postponed until the age when the person accepts the faith quite consciously (in Russia - no earlier than 15 years). Confirmation, like baptism, occurs only once and cannot be repeated.

Eucharist. The sacrament of the Eucharist (Greek: “gratitude”), or communion, was established by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper and commanded by Him to the Church. Its essence lies in the remembrance of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, in the communion of believers with the fullness of His Divinity and Humanity through partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ under the guise of bread and wine. The Eucharist is considered in the Catholic Church to be the focus of church life, a constant source of sanctification for the faithful. The Eucharistic service - the Mass - is celebrated in the Church constantly (in most parishes daily). The Body of Christ is always present on the altar of every church in the tabernacle. Catholics try, whenever possible, to combine all other sacraments with the Eucharistic service.

Unlike Orthodox Church, which uses leavened bread (that is, baked from leavened dough) for the Eucharist, Latin uses unleavened bread. In the Middle Ages, this caused serious controversy, reaching mutual accusations in heresy, although the ancient Church recognized both types of bread.

In the Orthodox Church, children begin to receive communion from infancy, immediately after baptism, and in the Latin rite, a child receives communion when he has some understanding of the basics of faith and understands the difference between ordinary bread and the Body of Christ (usually from the age of seven or even later). But this is only a manifestation of the diversity of traditions, and not a fundamental contradiction. In the Eastern rites of the Catholic Church, infant communion is also practiced.

In the Latin rite, first communion is a real holiday for every child and his entire family. Usually in parishes the first communion of children takes place on a certain day of the year and in a solemn atmosphere. A significant difference between the Eucharistic services of the Latin rite for many centuries was the communion of the laity only with the Body of Christ, that is, with bread. Only the clergy partook of the Body and Blood of Christ (bread and wine). This order continues in a significant part of parishes to this day. This custom, established in the Catholic Church during the era late Middle Ages, V Lately is being revised. They are gradually returning to the ancient practice of communion. The Church, not considering it possible to hastily break traditions, leaves this to the discretion of local church authorities.

Communion of the laity with the Body and Blood of Christ is now practiced in many parishes, especially at Masses in small communities. Considering the Eucharist to be the center of a Christian’s spiritual life, the Catholic Church encourages believers to receive frequent (and even daily) communion. It does not prescribe any strict rules for preparing for it. In former times, Catholics, like the Orthodox, observed the Eucharistic fast - abstaining from food and drink before communion from midnight. In the middle of the 20th century, the Catholic Church, taking into account the changing rhythm and living conditions of people, gradually reduced the Eucharistic fast to one hour before communion. The service of evening masses was also introduced, allowing the faithful to participate in the Eucharist on weekdays after work. This is especially important on church holidays that fall on working days.

Repentance. According to Catholic teaching, in the sacrament of repentance, the believer, by the mercy of God, receives remission of sins, and is also reconciled and reunited with the Church, from which every grave sin he commits alienates the Christian. With the power received from Christ Himself, the priest forgives sins to those who sincerely repent of them. In this way, the believer receives God-given forgiveness and is freed from eternal punishment behind grave sins and acquires grace to fight temptations. For the Catholic Church, confession is not an automatic means of cleansing from sins. Sometimes they mistakenly believe that it is enough to tell the priest about your sin, and God will immediately forgive him.

The sacrament of repentance, according to Catholic teaching, is effective only when the believer sincerely regrets his misdeeds and firmly intends to henceforth avoid all voluntary sin. Another important condition is the so-called satisfaction for sins to God and neighbor. This is feasible compensation for damage caused to other people, as well as the execution of a conditional punishment imposed by the priest - penance (usually prayers or acts of mercy). The sinner confesses to God Himself, the only one from whom he can receive forgiveness; the priest is only a witness to confession.

The traditional arrangement of the confessional, when the penitent is separated from the priest by a partition, helps him feel that he is not addressing a person, but God. However, confession before a priest gives the believer the opportunity to receive spiritual advice from him, which helps the future improvement of the Christian. Therefore, recently, many churches have equipped special rooms for confession, and the penitent himself chooses how to confess: kneeling behind a partition or sitting opposite the priest. In a tightly closed outside world and securely fenced off from the priest in the medieval confessional, the sinner could well expect to remain unrecognized.

But in any case, the most important duty of a Catholic priest is to maintain the secret of confession, which must not be violated under any circumstances. For violation of the secret of confession by a priest, church law prescribes excommunication from the Church. Closely connected with the sacrament of repentance is the practice of granting indulgences, the doctrine of which is specific feature Catholic theology. It has always caused a lot of controversy and misunderstanding, and for this reason at least it needs clarification. According to Catholic doctrine, remission of sins means the removal of guilt for them, giving the repentant the opportunity to reunite with the Church and avoid eternal condemnation after death (if we are talking about serious sins).

However, the remission of sins in itself does not remove the temporary punishment for them: the sinner can suffer punishment both during life, for example, in the form of illnesses, deprivations, and other suffering, and after death, that is, in purgatory. In the Middle Ages, Catholic theologians formulated the doctrine that such punishment could be prevented thanks to the merits of the saints and Christ Himself. It is believed that the Church accumulates and stores these merits, so it can also remove the temporary punishment. It was this action that came to be called indulgence (Latin for “forgiveness”). Indulgences were granted at confession, communion, and also if the repentant fulfilled certain specific requirements (prayed, made a pilgrimage, charity, etc.).

Although Catholic theologians have repeatedly emphasized that the effect of an indulgence is not mechanical, but depends entirely on the internal disposition of the one who receives it, in medieval Europe a “magical” attitude towards indulgences gradually developed. Over time, they began to be certified with special certificates, which were often issued by self-interested clergy for a fee. This contributed to the development of anti-church sentiments in the 15th-16th centuries. and was one of the motivations for the Reformation.

The obvious distortion of the doctrine of indulgences and the abuses associated with their provision forced the Catholic Church itself to reconsider its existing practice: in 1547, Pope Paul III categorically prohibited the sale of indulgences as contrary to the norms of church law.

Today, the practice of granting indulgences is very different from the medieval one. Indulgences are not given to individuals and do not require certain obediences, but are declared by the pope in special days, timed to coincide with church holidays. These obediences can be received by every Catholic who fulfills the specified conditions (as a rule, certain prayers are added to confession and communion). Today, believers are given more opportunities to decide for themselves which good deeds should be chosen in order to receive an indulgence.

Blessing of Unction. Through the consecration of oil (or anointing), the Church entrusts the sick to the Lord to alleviate their suffering, heal the body and save the soul. Blessing of oil is performed so that the sick person receives grace, which, according to the will of God, either contributes to his recovery or sanctifies his transition to another life. The external sign of this sacrament is, as in Orthodoxy, the anointing of the sick with blessed oil (olive oil). There is a misconception that the Catholic Church allows the reception of oil only once in a lifetime. Blessing of oil is a repeated sacrament, although it is recommended to perform it no more than once during an illness (or one stage of an illness).

Priesthood. In the sacrament of the priesthood, a Christian who has been ordained as a deacon, priest or bishop is elevated by the grace of God to the appropriate degree of priesthood and assigned to special church service. Only a bishop can perform the sacrament of priesthood. The consecration of a bishop is usually carried out by several bishops.

Contrary to popular belief, Catholics do not view the papacy as a special grace of the priesthood, for in grace the pope is equal to all other bishops of the Church.

Marriage. The Code of Canon Law in the Catholic Church states: “The conjugal union, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves the community of life, intended by its natural character for the benefit of the spouses, and for the birth and education of children, is raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament between the baptized.” . Consecrated through the sacrament of marriage married life and grace is given that promotes genuine love between spouses, as well as their fruitful family ministry. In the Latin Church, the sacrament of marriage differs from all other sacraments in that its performers are the bride and groom themselves: in the face of witnesses, the future spouses enter into a marital agreement, taking marriage vows. The priest (in exceptional cases he can be replaced by a deacon or even a layman) is present at the marriage as the main witness and, with the authority of the Church, confirms and blesses the marital union.

In previous centuries, the Catholic Church tried to prevent marriages between Catholics and non-Catholics. Nowadays, still considering the like-mindedness of spouses to be an important condition family well-being, it nevertheless does not prevent mixed marriages (although it does not recommend them). Marriages between Catholics and other baptized persons are permitted; they are performed as a sacrament in the Catholic Church or are recognized by it if they were concluded in any other Christian denomination (at the same time, the Catholic side undertakes to raise children, as far as possible, in the Catholic faith).

Marriages between Christians and unbelievers are also possible, for, as the Apostle Paul said, “... an unbelieving husband is sanctified by a believing wife, and an unbelieving wife is sanctified by a believing husband” (1 Cor. 7.14). In this case, only believers take marriage vows. The sacrament of marriage is considered valid if it was carried out sacramentally (that is, according to the rules established by the Church and confirmed by it) and physically (that is, the spouses entered into intimate intimacy). The sacrament of marriage is not considered valid if the marriage was concluded contrary to canon law. For example, a person who is already in a valid marriage or has become a monk cannot enter into marriage; marriage cannot be performed under duress, etc. If a violation of these or other circumstances provided for by church law is revealed, the marriage is recognized by the Church as invalid.

Marriage, valid as a sacrament, according to Catholic teaching, is indissoluble. It ends only with the death of one of the spouses. Following the commandment of Christ, “...what God has joined together, let no man put asunder” (Matthew 19.6), the Catholic Church does not allow the possibility of dissolution of valid marriages. Contrary to popular belief, even the father does not have the right to dissolve a valid marriage. Special ecclesiastical tribunals only consider petitions to declare marriages invalid. The indissolubility of marriage excludes remarriage; At the same time, separation (separation) of spouses is allowed in cases where living together becomes impossible. However, the Catholic Church calls for avoiding this.

The sanctification of a Christian's life is not limited to the sacraments. In addition to them, there are numerous secret rituals, or sacra-mentals (from the Latin sacramentalis - “sacred”). This is the consecration of temples, dwellings, various objects, etc. The most important place among such rites is occupied by Christian burial and other funeral rituals.

The Catholic Church willingly introduces the customs of many peoples into its rituals, paying tribute to the human wisdom inherent in them. At the same time, it is unacceptable for the Church folk customs, which contradict the veneration of the one God, the evangelical faith and Christian morality.