3-5-10 THE BISHOP'S VOICE: Lowering the confirmation age
Bishop Michael Sheridan, STD
[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following letter was sent Feb. 16 to priests, deacons, Catholic school principals, parish directors of religious education and parish youth minsters. It is being reprinted as the bishop’s column this issue.]
For a number of years formal and informal discussions regarding the most suitable age for receiving the sacrament of Confirmation have been going on in our diocese. No age was unanimously preferred by all the parties engaged in those discussions.
The Catholic Church understands Confirmation as one of the three sacraments of initiation. This identification implies that Confirmation usually ought to be conferred on those of a relatively young age, rather than an older age. In the churches of the East, Confirmation (together with Baptism and the Eucharist) is conferred on infants, thus making it very clear that these are initiatory sacraments. In the United States, the Conference of Catholic Bishops has requested of the Holy See that each bishop be allowed to set policy for his diocese. The Holy See responded saying that those receiving the sacrament may be as young as 7 years of age, but should ordinarily be no older than 17 years of age.
Recently I sent a survey to priests, deacons, directors of religious formation (DREs), youth ministers and, via these leaders, to parents. In each of these categories, respondents indicated, by almost 2 to 1, their preference for a younger age for Confirmation than is currently the policy in this diocese.
In addition to this preference poll, I believe that there are a number of good reasons to lower the age for Confirmation. Among these reasons are:
1. The Code of Canon Law indicates that Confirmation "is to be conferred on the faithful at about the age of discretion [usually understood to be about 7 years of age for this sacrament] unless the conference of bishops determines another age [now determined to be anywhere between 7 and 17 years of age]" (canon 891).
2. Lowering the age for Confirmation will bring this sacrament into closer proximity with the other sacraments of initiation.
3. Experience has generally shown that there is a greater likelihood of parental involvement when children are younger than high school age. This helps to emphasize the parents as the primary educators of their children.
4. There is good reason to believe that the grace of the Sacrament of Confirmation, when received at a younger age, will equip the recipients better to face the challenges of the high school years, as well as prepare the young people for comprehensive youth ministry in their high school years.
5. Those young people who attend a Catholic elementary school could be substantially prepared for Confirmation in the course of their religious instructions in the school.
6. It has been demonstrated that more young people are likely to be confirmed when they are younger, rather than in their high school years.
For these reasons, I am asking that in all parishes of the Diocese of Colorado Springs the sacrament of Confirmation ordinarily be conferred on children in their seventh- or eighth-grade year; and that adequate preparation for this sacrament be given in our parish religious education programs as well as in all Catholic elementary schools.
So that we might more easily deal with the number of young people currently between 15 years of age (our current policy) and those in 7th or 8th grades who now should be confirmed, this new policy will not go into effect until the academic year 2011-2012. (I realize that some parishes have already begun to present seventh and eighth grade children for Confirmation.) In the next academic year, 2010-2011, any high school-age Catholic who has not been confirmed should be prepared to receive the sacrament in that academic year.
Finally, I ask that you distribute this policy change to all interested parties in your parish.
Thank you for helping to move this policy forward, and for all that you do to form our young people in the Faith of the Church.
— Bishop Michael Sheridan