Confirmation seen as graduation out of the Church

Confirmation seen as graduation out of the Church

Friday, May 1st, 2015

Honolulu diocese is planning to return to the traditional order of the sacraments of initiation because Confirmation of teens isn’t working well.

In a pastoral letter, Bishop Larry Silva said Confirmation is “often experienced more as a graduation from the Church than as a free gift of God’s grace”.

He cited Pope Francis’s 2013 description of Confirmation as a “sacrament of farewell” for many.

So Honolulu diocese plans to return the sacraments of initiation to what Bishop Silva called their proper order, that is: Baptism, Confirmation, and then First Holy Communion.

He invited parents, priests, deacons, youth ministers, faith formation staff and school staff to be part of education during this transition.

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News category: News Shorts.

Tags: Baptism, Bishop Silva, Communion, Confirmation, Honolulu, Sacraments of Initiation

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