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LITURGICAL DIVERSITY AND THE UNITY OF THE MYSTERY
Liturgical traditions and the catholicity of the Church
§1200
From the first community of Jerusalem until the parousia, it is the same
Paschal mystery that the Churches of God, faithful to the apostolic faith,
celebrate in every place. the mystery celebrated in the liturgy is one, but the
forms of its celebration are diverse.
§1201
The mystery of Christ is so unfathomably rich that it cannot be exhausted by
its expression in any single liturgical tradition. the history of the
blossoming and development of these rites witnesses to a remarkable
complementarity. When the Churches lived their respective liturgical traditions
in the communion of the faith and the sacraments of the faith, they enriched
one another and grew in fidelity to Tradition and to the common mission of the
whole Church.66
§1202
The diverse liturgical traditions have arisen by very reason of the Church's
mission. Churches of the same geographical and cultural area came to celebrate
the mystery of Christ through particular expressions characterized by the
culture: in the tradition of the «deposit of faith,» 67 in
liturgical symbolism, in the organization of fraternal communion, in the
theological understanding of the mysteries, and in various forms of holiness.
Through the liturgical life of a local church, Christ, the light and salvation
of all peoples, is made manifest to the particular people and culture to which
that Church is sent and in which she is rooted. the Church is catholic, capable
of integrating into her unity, while purifying them, all the authentic riches
of cultures.68
§1203
The liturgical traditions or rites presently in use in the Church are the Latin
(principally the Roman rite, but also the rites of certain local churches, such
as the Ambrosian rite, or those of certain religious orders) and the Byzantine,
Alexandrian or Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Maronite and Chaldean rites. In
«faithful obedience to tradition, the sacred Council declares that Holy
Mother Church holds all lawfully recognized rites to be of equal right and
dignity, and that she wishes to preserve them in the future and to foster them
in every way.» 69
Liturgy and culture
§1204
The celebration of the liturgy, therefore, should correspond to the genius and
culture of the different peoples.70 In order that the mystery of Christ
be «made known to all the nations . . . to bring about the obedience of faith,» 71
it must be proclaimed, celebrated, and lived in all cultures in such a way that
they themselves are not abolished by it, but redeemed and fulfilled:72
It is with and through their own human culture, assumed and transfigured by
Christ, that the multitude of God's children has access to the Father, in order
to glorify him in the one Spirit.
§1205
«In the liturgy, above all that of the sacraments, there is an immutable
part, a part that is divinely instituted and of which the Church is the
guardian, and parts that can be changed, which the Church has the power and on
occasion also the duty to adapt to the cultures of recently evangelized
peoples.» 73
§1206
«Liturgical diversity can be a source of enrichment, but it can also
provoke tensions, mutual misunderstandings, and even schisms. In this matter it
is clear that diversity must not damage unity. It must express only fidelity to
the common faith, to the sacramental signs that the Church has received from
Christ, and to hierarchical communion. Cultural adaptation also requires a
conversion of heart and even, where necessary, a breaking with ancestral
customs incompatible with the Catholic faith.» 74
IN BRIEF
§1207
It is fitting that
liturgical celebration tends to express itself in the culture of the people
where the Church finds herself, though without being submissive to it.
Moreover, the liturgy itself generates cultures and shapes them.
§1208
The diverse liturgical
traditions or rites, legitimately recognized, manifest the catholicity of the
Church, because they signify and communicate the same mystery of Christ.
§1209
The criterion that
assures unity amid the diversity of liturgical traditions is fidelity to
apostolic Tradition, i e., the communion in the faith and the sacraments
received from the apostles, a communion that is both signified and guaranteed
by apostolic succession.
THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH
§1210
Christ instituted the sacraments of the new law. There are seven: Baptism,
Confirmation (or Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the
Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. the seven sacraments touch all the stages and
all the important moments of Christian life:1 they give birth and
increase, healing and mission to the Christian's life of faith. There is thus a
certain resemblance between the stages of natural life and the stages of the
spiritual life.
§1211
Following this analogy, the first chapter will expound the three sacraments of
Christian initiation; the second, the sacraments of healing; and the third, the
sacraments at the service of communion and the mission of the faithful. This
order, while not the only one possible, does allow one to see that the
sacraments form an organic whole in which each particular sacrament has its own
vital place. In this organic whole, the Eucharist occupies a unique place as
the «Sacrament of sacraments": «all the other sacraments are
ordered to it as to their end.» 2
THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION
§1212
The sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and the
Eucharist - lay the foundations of every Christian life. «The sharing in
the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain
likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. the faithful
are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and
receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments
of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures
of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity.» 3
THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
§1213
Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the
Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua),4 and the door which gives access to
the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons
of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made
sharers in her mission: «Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through
water in the word.» 5
I. What is This Sacrament Called?
§1214
This sacrament is called Baptism, after the central rite by which it is carried
out: to baptize (Greek baptizein) means to «plunge» or
«immerse»; the «plunge» into the water symbolizes the
catechumen's burial into Christ's death, from which he rises up by resurrection
with him, as «a new creature.» 6
§1215
This sacrament is also called «the washing of regeneration and renewal by
the Holy Spirit,» for it signifies and actually brings about the birth of
water and the Spirit without which no one «can enter the kingdom of
God.» 7
§1216
«This bath is called enlightenment, because those who receive this
[catechetical] instruction are enlightened in their understanding
. . . .» 8 Having received in Baptism the Word, «the true
light that enlightens every man,» the person baptized has been «enlightened,"
he becomes a «son of light,» indeed, he becomes «light"
himself:9
Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift....We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God's Lordship.10
II. Baptism in the Economy of Salvation
Prefigurations of Baptism in the Old Covenant
§1217
In the liturgy of the Easter Vigil, during the blessing of the baptismal water,
the Church solemnly commemorates the great events in salvation history that
already prefigured the mystery of Baptism:
Father, you give us grace through sacramental signs which tell us of the wonders of your unseen power.
In Baptism we use your gift of water, which you have made a rich symbol of the grace you give us in this sacrament.11
§1218
Since the beginning of the world, water, so humble and wonderful a creature,
has been the source of life and fruitfulness. Sacred Scripture sees it as
«oveshadowed» by the Spirit of God:12
At the very dawn of creation
your Spirit breathed on the waters,
making them the wellspring of all holiness.13
§1219
The Church has seen in Noah's ark a prefiguring of salvation by Baptism, for by
it «a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through
water":14
The waters of the great flood
you made a sign of the waters of Baptism,
that make an end of sin and a new beginning of goodness.15
§1220
If water springing up from the earth symbolizes life, the water of the sea is a
symbol of death and so can represent the mystery of the cross. By this
symbolism Baptism signifies communion with Christ's death.
§1221
But above all, the crossing of the Red Sea, literally the liberation of Israel
from the slavery of Egypt, announces the liberation wrought by Baptism:
You freed the children of Abraham from the slavery of Pharaoh,
bringing them dry-shod through the waters of the Red Sea,
to be an image of the people set free in Baptism.16
§1222
Finally, Baptism is prefigured in the crossing of the Jordan River by which the
People of God received the gift of the land promised to Abraham's descendants,
an image of eternal life. the promise of this blessed inheritance is fulfilled
in the New Covenant.
Christ's Baptism
§1223
All the Old Covenant prefigurations find their fulfillment in Christ Jesus. He
begins his public life after having himself baptized by St. John the Baptist in
the Jordan.17 After his resurrection Christ gives this mission to his
apostles: «Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them
to observe all that I have commanded you.» 18
§1224
Our Lord voluntarily submitted himself to the baptism of St. John, intended for
sinners, in order to «fulfill all righteousness.» 19 Jesus'
gesture is a manifestation of his self-emptying.20 The Spirit who had
hovered over the waters of the first creation descended then on the Christ as a
prelude of the new creation, and the Father revealed Jesus as his «beloved
Son.» 21
§1225
In his Passover Christ opened to all men the fountain of Baptism. He had
already spoken of his Passion, which he was about to suffer in Jerusalem, as a
«Baptism» with which he had to be baptized.22 The blood and
water that flowed from the pierced side of the crucified Jesus are types of
Baptism and the Eucharist, the sacraments of new life.23 From then on,
it is possible «to be born of water and the Spirit» 24 in
order to enter the Kingdom of God.
See where you are baptized, see where Baptism comes from, if not from the cross of Christ, from his death. There is the whole mystery: he died for you. In him you are redeemed, in him you are saved.25
Baptism in the Church
§1226
From the very day of Pentecost the Church has celebrated and administered holy
Baptism. Indeed St. Peter declares to the crowd astounded by his preaching:
«Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.» 26 The apostles and their collaborators offer Baptism to
anyone who believed in Jesus: Jews, the God-fearing, pagans.27 Always,
Baptism is seen as connected with faith: «Believe in the Lord Jesus, and
you will be saved, you and your household,» St. Paul declared to his
jailer in Philippi. and the narrative continues, the jailer «was baptized
at once, with all his family.» 28
§1227
According to the Apostle Paul, the believer enters through Baptism into
communion with Christ's death, is buried with him, and rises with him:
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.29
The baptized have «put on Christ.» 30 Through the Holy Spirit, Baptism is a bath that purifies, justifies, and sanctifies.31
§1228
Hence Baptism is a bath of water in which the «imperishable seed» of
the Word of God produces its life-giving effect.32 St. Augustine says
of Baptism: «The word is brought to the material element, and it becomes a
sacrament.» 33
III. How is the Sacrament of Baptism Celebrated?
Christian Initiation
§1229
From the time of the apostles, becoming a Christian has been accomplished by a
journey and initiation in several stages. This journey can be covered rapidly
or slowly, but certain essential elements will always have to be present:
proclamation of the Word, acceptance of the Gospel entailing conversion,
profession of faith, Baptism itself, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and
admission to Eucharistic communion.
§1230
This
initiation has varied greatly through the centuries according to circumstances.
In the first centuries of the Church, Christian initiation saw considerable
development. A long period of catechumenate included a series of preparatory
rites, which were liturgical landmarks along the path of catechumenal
preparation and culminated in the celebration of the sacraments of Christian
initiation.
§1231
Where
infant Baptism has become the form in which this sacrament is usually
celebrated, it has become a single act encapsulating the preparatory stages of
Christian initiation in a very abridged way. By its very nature infant Baptism
requires a post-baptismal catechumenate. Not only is there a need for
instruction after Baptism, but also for the necessary flowering of baptismal
grace in personal growth. the catechism has its proper place here.
§1232
The
second Vatican Council restored for the Latin Church «the catechumenate
for adults, comprising several distinct steps.» 34 The rites for
these stages are to be found in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
(RCIA).35 The Council also gives permission that: «In mission
countries, in addition to what is furnished by the Christian tradition, those
elements of initiation rites may be admitted which are already in use among
some peoples insofar as they can be adapted to the Christian
ritual.» 36
§1233
Today
in all the rites, Latin and Eastern, the Christian initiation of adults begins
with their entry into the catechumenate and reaches its culmination in a single
celebration of the three sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and
the Eucharist.37 In the Eastern rites the Christian initiation of
infants also begins with Baptism followed immediately by Confirmation and the
Eucharist, while in the Roman rite it is followed by years of catechesis before
being completed later by Confirmation and the Eucharist, the summit of their
Christian initiation.38
The mystagogy of the celebration
§1234
The meaning and grace of the sacrament of Baptism are clearly seen in the rites
of its celebration. By following the gestures and words of this celebration
with attentive participation, the faithful are initiated into the riches this
sacrament signifies and actually brings about in each newly baptized person.
§1235
The sign of the cross, on the threshold of the celebration, marks with the
imprint of Christ the one who is going to belong to him and signifies the grace
of the redemption Christ won for us by his cross.
§1236
The proclamation of the Word of God enlightens the candidates and the assembly
with the revealed truth and elicits the response of faith, which is inseparable
from Baptism. Indeed Baptism is «the sacrament of faith» in a
particular way, since it is the sacramental entry into the life of faith.
§1237
Since Baptism signifies liberation from sin and from its instigator the devil,
one or more exorcisms are pronounced over the candidate. the celebrant then
anoints him with the oil of catechumens, or lays his hands on him, and he
explicitly renounces Satan. Thus prepared, he is able to confess the faith of
the Church, to which he will be «entrusted» by Baptism.39
§1238
The baptismal water is consecrated by a prayer of epiclesis (either at this moment
or at the Easter Vigil). the Church asks God that through his Son the power of
the Holy Spirit may be sent upon the water, so that those who will be baptized
in it may be «born of water and the Spirit.» 40
§1239
The essential rite of the sacrament follows: Baptism properly speaking. It
signifies and actually brings about death to sin and entry into the life of the
Most Holy Trinity through configuration to the Paschal mystery of Christ.
Baptism is performed in the most expressive way by triple immersion in the
baptismal water. However, from ancient times it has also been able to be
conferred by pouring the water three times over the candidate's head.
§1240
In the
Latin Church this triple infusion is accompanied by the minister's words:
«N., I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit.» In the Eastern liturgies the catechumen turns toward the
East and the priest says: «The servant of God, N., is baptized in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.» At the invocation
of each person of the Most Holy Trinity, the priest immerses the candidate in
the water and raises him up again.
§1241
The anointing with sacred chrism, perfumed oil consecrated by the bishop,
signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized, who has become a
Christian, that is, one «anointed» by the Holy Spirit, incorporated
into Christ who is anointed priest, prophet, and king.41
§1242
In the liturgy of the Eastern Churches, the post-baptismal anointing is the
sacrament of Chrismation (Confirmation). In the Roman liturgy the
post-baptismal anointing announces a second anointing with sacred chrism to be
conferred later by the bishop Confirmation, which will as it were
«confirm» and complete the baptismal anointing.
§1243
The white garment symbolizes that the person baptized has «put on
Christ,» 42 has risen with Christ. the candle, lit from the Easter
candle, signifies that Christ has enlightened the neophyte. In him the baptized
are «the light of the world.» 43
The newly baptized is now, in the only Son, a child of God entitled to say the
prayer of the children of God: «Our Father.»
§1244
First Holy Communion. Having become a child of God clothed with the wedding
garment, the neophyte is admitted «to the marriage supper of the
Lamb» 44 and receives the food of the new life, the body and blood
of Christ. the Eastern Churches maintain a lively awareness of the unity of
Christian initiation by giving Holy Communion to all the newly baptized and
confirmed, even little children, recalling the Lord's words: «Let the
children come to me, do not hinder them.» 45 The Latin Church,
which reserves admission to Holy Communion to those who have attained the age
of reason, expresses the orientation of Baptism to the Eucharist by having the
newly baptized child brought to the altar for the praying of the Our Father.
§1245
The solemn blessing concludes the celebration of Baptism. At the Baptism of
newborns the blessing of the mother occupies a special place.
IV. Who can Receive Baptism?
§1246
«Every person not yet baptized and only such a person is able to be
baptized.» 46
The Baptism of adults
§1247
Since the beginning of the Church, adult Baptism is the common practice where
the proclamation of the Gospel is still new. the catechumenate (preparation for
Baptism) therefore occupies an important place. This initiation into Christian
faith and life should dispose the catechumen to receive the gift of God in
Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist.
§1248
The catechumenate, or formation of catechumens, aims at bringing their
conversion and faith to maturity, in response to the divine initiative and in
union with an ecclesial community. the catechumenate is to be «a formation
in the whole Christian life . . . during which the disciples will be joined to
Christ their teacher. the catechumens should be properly initiated into the
mystery of salvation and the practice of the evangelical virtues, and they
should be introduced into the life of faith, liturgy, and charity of the People
of God by successive sacred rites.» 47
§1249
Catechumens «are already joined to the Church, they are already of the
household of Christ, and are quite frequently already living a life of faith,
hope, and charity.» 48 «With love and solicitude mother Church
already embraces them as her own.» 49
The Baptism of infants
§1250
Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also have
need of the new birth in Baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought
into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to which all men are
called.50 The sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is
particularly manifest in infant Baptism. the Church and the parents would deny
a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer
Baptism shortly after birth.51
§1251
Christian parents will recognize that this practice also accords with their
role as nurturers of the life that God has entrusted to them.52
§1252
The
practice of infant Baptism is an immemorial tradition of the Church. There is
explicit testimony to this practice from the second century on, and it is quite
possible that, from the beginning of the apostolic preaching, when whole
«households» received baptism, infants may also have been
baptized.53
Faith and Baptism
§1253
Baptism is the sacrament of faith.54 But faith needs the community of
believers. It is only within the faith of the Church that each of the faithful
can believe. the faith required for Baptism is not a perfect and mature faith,
but a beginning that is called to develop. the catechumen or the godparent is
asked: «What do you ask of God's Church?» the response is:
«Faith!»
§1254
For all the baptized, children or adults, faith must grow after Baptism. For
this reason the Church celebrates each year at the Easter Vigil the renewal of
baptismal promises. Preparation for Baptism leads only to the threshold of new
life. Baptism is the source of that new life in Christ from which the entire
Christian life springs forth.
§1255
For the grace of Baptism to unfold, the parents' help is important. So too is
the role of the godfather and godmother, who must be firm believers, able and
ready to help the newly baptized - child or adult on the road of Christian
life.55 Their task is a truly ecclesial function (officium).56
The whole ecclesial community bears some responsibility for the development and
safeguarding of the grace given at Baptism.
V. Who can Baptize?
§1256
The ordinary ministers of Baptism are the bishop and priest and, in the Latin
Church, also the deacon.57 In case of necessity, any person, even
someone not baptized, can baptize, if he has the required intention. the
intention required is to will to do what the Church does when she baptizes, and
to apply the Trinitarian baptismal formula. the Church finds the reason for
this possibility in the universal saving will of God and the necessity of
Baptism for salvation.58
VI. The Necessity of Baptism
§1257
The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation.59 He
also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to
baptize them.60 Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom
the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for
this sacrament.61 The Church does not know of any means other than
Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care
not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who
can be baptized are «reborn of water and the Spirit.» God has bound
salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his
sacraments.
§1258
The Church has always held the firm conviction that those who suffer death for
the sake of the faith without having received Baptism are baptized by their
death for and with Christ. This Baptism of blood, like the desire for Baptism,
brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament.
§1259
For catechumens who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive
it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the
salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament.
§1260
«Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one
and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers
to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the
Paschal mystery.» 62 Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of
Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in
accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that
such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its
necessity.
§1261
As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust
them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed,
the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus'
tenderness toward children which caused him to say: «Let the children come
to me, do not hinder them,» 63 allow us to hope that there is a way
of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is
the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift
of holy Baptism.
VII. The Grace of Baptism
§1262
The different effects of Baptism are signified by the perceptible elements of
the sacramental rite. Immersion in water symbolizes not only death and purification,
but also regeneration and renewal. Thus the two principal effects are
purification from sins and new birth in the Holy Spirit.64
For the forgiveness of sins . . .
§1263
By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well
as all punishment for sin.65 In those who have been reborn nothing
remains that would impede their entry into the Kingdom of God, neither Adam's
sin, nor personal sin, nor the consequences of sin, the gravest of which is
separation from God.
§1264
Yet certain temporal consequences of sin remain in the baptized, such as
suffering, illness, death, and such frailties inherent in life as weaknesses of
character, and so on, as well as an inclination to sin that Tradition calls
concupiscence, or metaphorically, «the tinder for sin» (fomes
peccati); since concupiscence «is left for us to wrestle with, it cannot
harm those who do not consent but manfully resist it by the grace of Jesus
Christ.» 66 Indeed, «an athlete is not crowned unless he
competes according to the rules.» 67
«A new creature»
§1265
Baptism not only purifies from all sins, but also makes the neophyte «a
new creature,» an adopted son of God, who has become a «partaker of
the divine nature,» 68 member of Christ and coheir with
him,69 and a temple of the Holy Spirit.70
§1266
The Most Holy Trinity gives the baptized sanctifying grace, the grace of
justification:
- enabling them to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him through the
theological virtues;
- giving them the power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit
through the gifts of the Holy Spirit;
- allowing them to grow in goodness through the moral virtues.
Thus the whole organism of the Christian's supernatural life has its roots in
Baptism.
Incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ
§1267
Baptism makes us members of the Body of Christ: «Therefore . . . we are
members one of another.» 71 Baptism incorporates us into the
Church. From the baptismal fonts is born the one People of God of the New
Covenant, which transcends all the natural or human limits of nations,
cultures, races, and sexes: «For by one Spirit we were all baptized into
one body.» 72
§1268
The baptized have become «living stones» to be «built into a
spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood.» 73 By Baptism they share
in the priesthood of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission. They are
«a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that
[they] may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called [them] out of darkness
into his marvelous light.» 74 Baptism gives a share in the common
priesthood of all believers.
§1269
Having become a member of the Church, the person baptized belongs no longer to
himself, but to him who died and rose for us.75 From now on, he is
called to be subject to others, to serve them in the communion of the Church,
and to «obey and submit» to the Church's leaders,76 holding
them in respect and affection.77 Just as Baptism is the source of
responsibilities and duties, the baptized person also enjoys rights within the
Church: to receive the sacraments, to be nourished with the Word of God and to
be sustained by the other spiritual helps of the Church.78
§1270
«Reborn as sons of God, [the baptized] must profess before men the faith
they have received from God through the Church» and participate in the
apostolic and missionary activity of the People of God.79
The sacramental bond of the unity of Christians
§1271
Baptism constitutes the foundation of communion among all Christians, including
those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church: «For men
who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in some, though
imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. Justified by faith in Baptism,
[they] are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called
Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers by the children of
the Catholic Church.» 80 «Baptism therefore constitutes the
sacramental bond of unity existing among all who through it are reborn.» 81
An indelible spiritual mark . . .
§1272
Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to
Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark
(character) of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin
prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation.82 Given once for
all, Baptism cannot be repeated.
§1273
Incorporated into the Church by Baptism, the faithful have received the sacramental
character that consecrates them for Christian religious worship.83 The
baptismal seal enables and commits Christians to serve God by a vital
participation in the holy liturgy of the Church and to exercise their baptismal
priesthood by the witness of holy lives and practical charity.84
§1274
The Holy Spirit has marked us with the seal of the Lord ("Dominicus
character») «for the day of redemption.» 85 «Baptism
indeed is the seal of eternal life.» 86 The faithful Christian who
has «kept the seal» until the end, remaining faithful to the demands
of his Baptism, will be able to depart this life «marked with the sign of
faith,» 87 with his baptismal faith, in expectation of the blessed
vision of God - the consummation of faith - and in the hope of resurrection.
IN BRIEF
§1275
Christian initiation is
accomplished by three sacraments together: Baptism which is the beginning of
new life; Confirmation which is its strengthening; and the Eucharist which
nourishes the disciple with Christ's Body and Blood for his transformation in
Christ.
§1276
«Go therefore and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have
commanded you» (⇒ Mt 28:19-20).
§1277
Baptism is birth into
the new life in Christ. In accordance with the Lord's will, it is necessary for
salvation, as is the Church herself, which we enter by Baptism.
§1278
The essential rite of
Baptism consists in immersing the candidate in water or pouring water on his
head, while pronouncing the invocation of the Most Holy Trinity: the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
§1279
The fruit of Baptism, or
baptismal grace, is a rich reality that includes forgiveness of original sin
and all personal sins, birth into the new life by which man becomes an adoptive
son of the Father, a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. By this
very fact the person baptized is incorporated into the Church, the Body of
Christ, and made a sharer in the priesthood of Christ.
§1280
Baptism imprints on the
soul an indelible spiritual sign, the character, which consecrates the baptized
person for Christian worship. Because of the character Baptism cannot be
repeated (cf. DS 1609 and DS 1624).
§1281
Those who die for the
faith, those who are catechumens, and all those who, without knowing of the
Church but acting under the inspiration of grace, seek God sincerely and strive
to fulfill his will, are saved even if they have not been baptized (cf. LG 16).
§1282
Since the earliest times,
Baptism has been administered to children, for it is a grace and a gift of God
that does not presuppose any human merit; children are baptized in the faith of
the Church. Entry into Christian life gives access to true freedom.
§1283
With respect to children
who have died without Baptism, the liturgy of the Church invites us to trust in
God's mercy and to pray for their salvation.
§1284
In case of necessity,
any person can baptize provided that he have the intention of doing that which
the Church does and provided that he pours water on the candidate's head while
saying: «I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit.»
THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
§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.88 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.» 89
I. Confirmation in the Economy of Salvation
§1286
In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would
rest on the hoped-for Messiah for his saving mission.90 The descent of
the Holy Spirit on Jesus at his baptism by John was the sign that this was he
who was to come, the Messiah, the Son of God.91 He was conceived of the
Holy Spirit; his whole life and his whole mission are carried out in total
communion with the Holy Spirit whom the Father gives him «without
measure.» 92
§1287
This fullness of the Spirit was not to remain uniquely the Messiah's, but was
to be communicated to the whole messianic people.93 On several
occasions Christ promised this outpouring of the Spirit,94 a promise
which he fulfilled first on Easter Sunday and then more strikingly at
Pentecost.95 Filled with the Holy Spirit the apostles began to proclaim
«the mighty works of God,» and Peter declared this outpouring of the
Spirit to be the sign of the messianic age.96 Those who believed in the
apostolic preaching and were baptized received the gift of the Holy Spirit in
their turn.97
§1288
«From that time on the apostles, in fulfillment of Christ's will, imparted
to the newly baptized by the laying on of hands the gift of the Spirit that
completes the grace of Baptism. For this reason in the Letter to the Hebrews
the doctrine concerning Baptism and the laying on of hands is listed among the
first elements of Christian instruction. the imposition of hands is rightly
recognized by the Catholic tradition as the origin of the sacrament of
Confirmation, which in a certain way perpetuates the grace of Pentecost in the
Church.» 98
§1289
Very early, the better to signify the gift of the Holy Spirit, an anointing
with perfumed oil (chrism) was added to the laying on of hands. This anointing
highlights the name «Christian,» which means «anointed» and
derives from that of Christ himself whom God «anointed with the Holy
Spirit.» 99 This rite of anointing has continued ever since, in
both East and West. For this reason the Eastern Churches call this sacrament
Chrismation, anointing with chrism, or myron which means «chrism.» In
the West, Confirmation suggests both the ratification of Baptism, thus
completing Christian initiation, and the strengthening of baptismal grace -
both fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Two traditions: East and West
§1290
In the
first centuries Confirmation generally comprised one single celebration with
Baptism, forming with it a «double sacrament,» according to the
expression of St. Cyprian. Among other reasons, the multiplication of infant
baptisms all through the year, the increase of rural parishes, and the growth
of dioceses often prevented the bishop from being present at all baptismal
celebrations. In the West the desire to reserve the completion of Baptism to
the bishop caused the temporal separation of the two sacraments. the East has
kept them united, so that Confirmation is conferred by the priest who baptizes.
But he can do so only with the «myron» consecrated by a
bishop.100
§1291
A
custom of the Roman Church facilitated the development of the Western practice:
a double anointing with sacred chrism after Baptism. the first anointing of the
neophyte on coming out of the baptismal bath was performed by the priest; it
was completed by a second anointing on the forehead of the newly baptized by
the bishop.101 The first anointing with sacred chrism, by the priest,
has remained attached to the baptismal rite; it signifies the participation of
the one baptized in the prophetic, priestly, and kingly offices of Christ. If
Baptism is conferred on an adult, there is only one post-baptismal anointing,
that of Confirmation.
§1292
The
practice of the Eastern Churches gives greater emphasis to the unity of
Christian initiation. That of the Latin Church more clearly expresses the
communion of the new Christian with the bishop as guarantor and servant of the
unity, catholicity and apostolicity of his Church, and hence the connection
with the apostolic origins of Christ's Church.
II. The Signs and the Rite of Confirmation
§1293
In treating the rite of Confirmation, it is fitting to consider the sign of
anointing and what it signifies and imprints: a spiritual seal.
Anointing, in Biblical and other ancient symbolism, is rich in meaning: oil is
a sign of abundance and joy;102 it cleanses (anointing before and after
a bath) and limbers (the anointing of athletes and wrestlers); oil is a sign of
healing, since it is soothing to bruises and wounds;103 and it makes
radiant with beauty, health, and strength.
§1294
Anointing with oil has all these meanings in the sacramental life. the
pre-baptismal anointing with the oil of catechumens signifies cleansing and
strengthening; the anointing of the sick expresses healing and comfort. the
post-baptismal anointing with sacred chrism in Confirmation and ordination is
the sign of consecration. By Confirmation Christians, that is, those who are
anointed, share more completely in the mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness
of the Holy Spirit with which he is filled, so that their lives may give off
«the aroma of Christ.» 104
§1295
By this anointing the confirmand receives the «mark,» the seal of the
Holy Spirit. A seal is a symbol of a person, a sign of personal authority, or
ownership of an oblect.105 Hence soldiers were marked with their leader's
seal and slaves with their master's. A seal authenticates a juridical act or
document and occasionally makes it secret.106
§1296
Christ himself declared that he was marked with his Father's seal.107
Christians are also marked with a seal: «It is God who establishes us with
you in Christ and has commissioned us; he has put his seal on us and given us
his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.» 108 This seal of the Holy
Spirit marks our total belonging to Christ, our enrollment in his service for
ever, as well as the promise of divine protection in the great eschatological
trial.109
The celebration of Confirmation
§1297
The consecration of the sacred chrism is an important action that precedes the
celebration of Confirmation, but is in a certain way a part of it. It is the
bishop who, in the course of the Chrism Mass of Holy Thursday, consecrates the
sacred chrism for his whole diocese. In some Eastern Churches this consecration
is even reserved to the patriarch:
The Syriac liturgy of Antioch expresses the epiclesis for the consecration of the sacred chrism (myron) in this way: «[Father . . . send your Holy Spirit] on us and on this oil which is before us and consecrate it, so that it may be for all who are anointed and marked with it holy myron, priestly myron, royal myron, anointing with gladness, clothing with light, a cloak of salvation, a spiritual gift, the sanctification of souls and bodies, imperishable happiness, the indelible seal, a buckler of faith, and a fearsome helmet against all the works of the adversary.»
§1298
When Confirmation is celebrated separately from Baptism, as is the case in the
Roman Rite, the Liturgy of Confirmation begins with the renewal of baptismal
promises and the profession of faith by the confirmands. This clearly shows
that Confirmation follows Baptism.110 When adults are baptized, they
immediately receive Confirmation and participate in the Eucharist.111
§1299
In the Roman Rite the bishop extends his hands over the whole group of the
confirmands. Since the time of the apostles this gesture has signified the gift
of the Spirit. the bishop invokes the outpouring of the Spirit in these words:
All-powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by water and the Holy Spirit
you freed your sons and daughters from sin
and gave them new life.
Send your Holy Spirit upon them
to be their helper and guide.
Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of right judgment and courage,
the spirit of knowledge and reverence.
Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.112
§1300
The essential rite of the sacrament follows. In the Latin rite, «the
sacrament of Confirmation is conferred through the anointing with chrism on the
forehead, which is done by the laying on of the hand, and through the words:
'Accipe signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti' [Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy
Spirit.].» 113 In the Eastern Churches, after a prayer of epiclesis
the more significant parts of the body are anointed with myron: forehead, eyes,
nose, ears, lips, breast, back, hands, and feet. Each anointing is accompanied
by the formula: «The seal of the gift that is the Holy Spirit.»
§1301
The sign of peace that concludes the rite of the sacrament signifies and
demonstrates ecclesial communion with the bishop and with all the
faithful.114
Catéchisme de l'Église catholique © Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1992.
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