Pope Francis: Confirmation is the ‘sacrament of witness,’ not the ‘sacrament of goodbye’

Vatican City, Oct 30, 2024 / 10:40 am

Pope Francis addressed thousands of international pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, urging them not to turn the sacrament of confirmation into their “last rites” as Catholics but to use it as “the beginning of an active participation in the Church.”

Continuing his catechetical series on the Holy Spirit and the Church, the Holy Father during his Wednesday general audience said confirmation is a “gift of God” and a “milestone” that should not mark a departure from the Church for Catholics.

“People say that it is the ‘sacrament of goodbye’ because once young people have done it they leave,” he said. “They come back for weddings. That’s what people say.”

The pope suggested that lay faithful “who have had a personal encounter with Christ and have had some experience of the Spirit” could reignite their own faith by helping other Catholics to better prepare for confirmation, which is the sacrament of the Holy Spirit “par excellence.”  

Reflecting on the accounts of the confirmation of the first Christians, recorded in the Acts of the Apostles and in St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, Pope Francis said it is God himself who anoints believers.

“He has put his seal upon us and given the Spirit in our hearts,” he told the crowds present in St. Peter’s Square. “The theme of the Holy Spirit as the royal seal with which Christ marks his sheep is at the basis of the doctrine of the indelible character conferred by this rite.”

“Confirmation is for all the faithful what Pentacost was for the entire Church. It strengthens the baptismal incorporation into Christ and the Church, and the royal consecration to the prophetic, royal, and priestly mission,” he added.

During the Wednesday audience, the Holy Father expressed his desire that Catholics will “remove the ashes of habit and disengagement” to become “bearers of the flame of the Spirit” in the upcoming 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.

Drawing attention to the solemnity of All Saints’ Day, celebrated on Nov. 1, the pope reminded his listeners that those who have gone before, who now enjoy “heavenly glory” and are “by the Father’s side,” wish to also be in communion with us and to guide us in our journey toward heaven.

Prayers for the Spirit’s gift of peace in the world

After greeting pilgrims belonging to different language groups — including Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish — and expressing his closeness with the young, sick, elderly, and newlyweds, the pope exhorted all people to continue to pray for peace in the world.

“We pray for peace. War is continuing to grow,” he said. “Let us think of the countries that are suffering so much: tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar, North Kivu [in Congo], and so many other countries that are suffering from war.”

“Peace is a gift of the Spirit and war is always a defeat. Nobody wins in war, everybody loses. Let’s pray for peace, brothers and sisters.”