Dear Padre Artical - 7th June 2009

Dear Byron,

The Catholic Church teaches that faith is chosen at baptism. In the case of an infant; the faith is supplied by the parents, who will be assisted by the godparents. When we are baptized, whether as infants or as adults, we become Catholic Christians. Confirmation is a sacrament of initiation that takes place after baptism. Therefore, people who are being confirmed have already chosen their faith.

The age at which confirmation is celebrated varies from diocese to diocese in the United States. Confirmation is often celebrated at the high school level, but it can also be celebrated in children as young as seven, so confirmation clearly isn’t about making an adult choice to be a Catholic.

The rest of our lives are about living out and deepening that choice. It’s good at every age and every step of your life to recommit to that choice: when you receive Communion, at your wedding, at the baptism of your children or grandchildren. In many of those celebrations we profess our faith, renouncing sin and professing our belief in the Trinity. Every time we do that, we choose once again to reafirm the belief we’ve had since the day of our baptism.