What is the importance of confirmation in the Catholic Church?

Answer 1

This is a perfect question for me to answer because I am a Catholic 14 year old girl who is making her Confirmation in October.

There is a HUGE importance of it. The word itself is almost the definition. They call it a "Confirmation" because you are confirming what you want. You are confirming that you want to continue you're practice and ACTIVE role in the Catholic church. It is a ceremony in which you are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

You must prepare mentally for this to happen, because if you do not have the requirments to fufill this sacrament, then they will not let you. You must know all the gifts and friuts of the Holy Spirit, and you must know a great deal about the church and how it works, the parts of the mass, sacramental and holy objects.... And when you know all of that, you must make an appoinment with the parish Father (priest) and he will interview you on all of this information along with asking you why you wish to fufill this sacrament. Don't worry. Know one will hear the interview except for you, the Father, and God. Also, you just have service hours completed. You must have a number of hours working in the church, the world, and in your family. THEN when the Father approoves you, you must go to confession, or reconciliation. This will be the second sacrament that a Catholic child will receive in their childhood. During this, you tell the Father the sins that you have comitted since your last confession. He will listen to them and then give you a penance. Doing this ensures that you are completley pure during the process. And the priest wil not tell anyone your sins either.

Then yay! The big day is here! A bishop will come to tehe church in which you are being confirmed at and begin the ceremony as a regular mass. When the time comes, you and your already confirmed sponser will go up along with all the other students who are being confirmed and the bishop will say "Do you wish to be sealed with the Holy Spirit and continue your journey in the Catholic church?" Or something along those lines.. and the Student will respond hopefully with, "I do." Then he makes the sign of the cross on your forehead with holy water, and BOOM! You have been confirmed. Congratulations!

By going through with this you must be an active church goer. It is not like all those rituals to prepare for this were like a preperation for gratuation from the church, it is a time when you become an adult in the church and you CARRY ON your role as a member of the parish.

So that is what Confirmation is. If you have any questions about any other sacraments I am here to help!

Answer 2

It is when the young person makes an adult decision to always remain a part of the Church.

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Catholic AnswerIn the Catholic Church, confirmation is the strengthening by the Holy Spirit in order to live out one's baptismal promises. Confirmation is not strictly necessary for salvation but "by the sacrament of Confirmation [ the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread nad defend the faith by word and deed." (Lumen Gentium 11; cf. Ordo confirmationis, Introduction 2). from Catechism of the Catholic Church, question # 1285