THE RITE OF CONFIRMATION

Confirmation has it's origins in baptism.

• The sacrament of Confirmation is conferred by anointing with chrism on, which is done by the imposition of the hand, and through the words prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer.
  
  
• The chrism to be used in the sacrament of Confirmation must be consecrated by a bishop.

• It is desirable that the sacrament of Confirmation be celebrated in a church and during Mass, but for a just and reasonable cause it may be celebrated outside Mass and in any worthy place.  The intention here is for those who are in the hospital, nursing home, or shut-ins.

THE MINISTER OF CONFIRMATION

• The ordinary minister of Confirmation is the bishop.

THOSE TO BE CONFIRMED

• Like Baptism, Confirmation is conferred only once in a Christian’s life.  All baptized persons who have not been confirmed are candidates for Confirmation regardless of physical or mental disability.

• The faithful are obliged to receive this sacrament at the appropriate time; their parents and godparents, especially the parish priest, are to see to it that the faithful are properly instructed to receive it.

• The sacrament of Confirmation is to be conferred on the faithful at the age of sixteen or older.

THOSE WHO WISH TO BECOME ANGLICAN

• Before a person can receive Confirmation; they must first have been baptized by water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 
  
• Those Christians desiring to become an Anglican from Protestant denominations will need to receive the sacrament of Confirmation by the local bishop.
  
• Those Christians desiring to join the Anglican Communion from Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodoxy do not need to be confirmed if they have already recieved the Sacrament of Confirmation.  The Anglican Church accepts the Sacrament of Confirmation from these Churches of the Catholic Faith.  These candidates will be received by the local bishop into the Anglican Church. 

SPONSORS

• As far as possible, a sponsor for the candidate to be confirmed should be present; it is for the sponsor to see that the confirmed person acts as a true witness to Christ and faithfully fulfills the obligations connected with this sacrament.

• To perform the role of sponsor, one must also have received the Sacrament of Confirmation.

• It is desirable that the person who undertook the role of sponsor at baptism be sponsor for Confirmation.

 To be admitted to the role of sponsor, a person need be:

1. designated by the candidate to be Confirmed, by the parents or the one who takes their place or, in their absence, the Rector;
   
2. have reached the sixteenth year, unless a different age has been established by the Rector that an exception is to be made for a just cause; 
   
3. be an Anglican who has been confirmed and has already received the sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist and leads a life in harmony with the faith and the role to be undertaken.