I. Preparatory Ceremonies

The Invocation

Turning to the candidates, the Bishop or delegated priest sings or says:May the Holy Spirit come down upon you, and the power of the Most HIgh keep you from all sin.Spiritus Sanctus superveniat in vos, et virtus Altissimi custodiat vos a peccatis.R. AmenR. Amen

The Bishop or priest then makes the Sign of the Cross and says:V. Our help + is in the Name of the Lord.V. Adjutorium + nostrum in nomine Domini.R. Who made Heaven and earth.R. Qui fecit caelum et terram.V. O, Lord, hear my prayer.V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.R. And let my cry come unto You.R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.V. The Lord be with you.V. Dominus vobiscum.R. And with your spirit.

R. Et cum spiritu tuo.

The Collective and Preparatory Imposition of Hands

The Bishop or delegated priest stretches out his hands over the candidates and says:Let us pray. Almighty, everlasting God, You have been pleased to regenerate these Your servants by water and the Holy Spirit, and have given them remission of all their sins; send forth upon them from Heaven Your sevenfold Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.Oremus. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui regenerare dignatus es hos, famulos tuos ex aqua et Spiritu Sancto, quique dedisti eis remissionem omnium peccatorum: emitte in eos septiformem Spiritum tuum sanctum Paraclitum de caelis.R. Amen.R. Amen.V. The Spirit of Wisdom and understanding.V. Spiritum sapientiae et intellectus.R. Amen.R. Amen.The Spirit of Counsel and fortitude.Spiritum consilii et fortitudinis.R. Amen.R. Amen.The Spirit of knowledge and piety.V. Spiritum scientiea et pietatis.R. Amen.R. Amen.Fill them with the spirit of Your holy fear, and sign them with the sign of the cross + of Christ in mercy for eternal life. Through the same Jesus Christ... in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God, world without end.Adimple eos Spiritu timoris tui, et consigna eos signo crucis + Christi, in vitam propitiatus aeternam. Per eumdem Dominum... in unitate ejusdem Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum.R. Amen.R. Amen.

II. The Sacrament

The candidates may come up in two ranks with hands joined, carrying a card bearing their Confirmation names. Each sponsor places his right hand on the right shoulder of the candidate they are sponsoring.

The Bishop, or delegated priest, stretching the fingers of his right hand over the head of each candidate, addresses each candidate by his Confirmation name and annoints each candidate's forehead with his thumb dipped in holy chrism. He confirms then with the words below"N., I sign thee with the sign + of the Cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation; in the Name of the Father + and of the Son + and of the Holy + Ghost.""N., signo te signo crucis + et confirmo te chrismate salutis, in nomine Patris + et Filii + et Spiritus + Sancti."

The newly-confirmed reply:R. Amen.R. Amen.

The Bishop or priest then gently strikes each candidate on the cheek, symbolizing that the Christian is now a soldier for Christ and must endure suffering and the persecution that comes from conflict with the world. A hymn might now be sung if the candidates are numerous.

III. Concluding Prayers

When all have been confirmed, the following antiphon is sung or read:ANT: Confirm, O Lord, what Thou has wrought in us, from Thy holy temple which is in Jerusalem. Alleluia.ANT: Confirma hoc, Deus, quod operatus es in nobis, a templo sancto tuo, quod est in Jerusalem. Alleuia.V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.V. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.R. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

After the antiphon has been repeated, the Bishop or priest turns to the Altar and sings:V. Lord, show up Your mercy.V. Ostende nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam.R. And grant us Your salvation.R. Et salutare tuum da nobis.V. O Lord, hear my prayer.V. Domine, exaudi orationem mean.R. And let my cry come to You.R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.V. The Lord be with you.V. Dominus vobiscum.R. And with your spirit.R. Et cum spiritu tuo.V. Let us pray. O God, You gave Your Holy Spirit to Your apostles, and willed that through them and their successors the same gift should be delivered to all the faithful: look graciously on the service we humbly render to You; grant that the same Spirit, coming down upon those whose foreheads we have annointed with the holy chrism, and signed with the sign of the holy cross, may by His gracious indwelling make them a temple of His glory, You Who are God, living and reigning with the Father and the Holy Spirit, world without end.R. Amen.R. Amen.

The Bishop then gives to the confirmed a special blessing in this form:V. Behold, thus shall every man be blessed who fears the Lord: May the Lord bless + you out of Sion, that you may see the good things of Jerusalem all the days of your life, and have life everlasting.V. Ecce sic benedicetur omnis homo qui timet Dominum: Benedicat + vos Dominus ex Sion, ut videatis bona Jerusalem omnibus diebus vitae vestrae, et habeatis vitam aeternam.R. Amen.R. Amen.

The Bishop sits down, and puts on his mitre. The newly confirmed recite aloud the Apostles' Creed, the Our Father, and the Hail Mary. The Bishop then gives the Pontifical Blessing to the entire congregation. A Te Deum or the Psalm Laudate pueri(Psalm 112) might be sung.
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