Hi, Blake —
Thanks for the question.
No, not technically, but it is a
very important sacrament of the Church,
especially in the immoral culture
we live in today.
It is the final sacrament which
make up the Sacraments of Initiation.
This is what the Catechism says:
1285 Baptism, the Eucharist,
and the sacrament of Confirmation
together constitute the "sacraments
of Christian initiation," whose
unity must be safeguarded. It
must be explained to the faithful
that the reception of the sacrament
of Confirmation is necessary for
the completion of baptismal grace.
For "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 and defend the faith
by word and deed." (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium 11; cf. Ordo Confirmarionis, Introduction 2.) |
In this culture, where an ordinary
Catholic in the pew needs all the
grace he or she can get to ward off
the invisible, demonic powers of
this earthly world, receiving the
sacrament of Confirmation is important.
It will also help the recipient appreciate
and defend what [he|she] believes
as a Catholic and help them discern
their special calling in the Church
and in the world.
If the teenager was never confirmed
and, for whatever reason, was never
really taught the Catholic faith,
depending on the situation, it may
be better to postpone Confirmation
until the recipient does appreciate [his|her] faith more. If a parent
is unsure, I would recommend they
talk with their pastor or a priest
about their child's specific situation.
If the Confirmation candidate is
doing this just:
- to make Mom [and/or] Dad happy
or
- to have a social party with gifts
their willingness to be a true witness
of Christ, more strictly obliged
to spread and defend the faith by
word and deed, will be lessened.
What's needed to get into Heaven
is to die in a state of grace, with
no mortal sin on your soul. Confirmation
makes this much easier to achieve.
Hope this helps,
Mike
|