Denver Catholic

4 MAY 23-29, 2015 | DENVER CATHOLIC Cover Story A re you confused by all the talk of the "restored order"? Are you unfamiliar with terms such as "sacraments of initiation" and "age of reason"? Don't worry; it's all quite understand- able once you know the basics. Essentially, the restoration of the order means two things: 1. Confirmation will be received before the reception of first Eucharist; 2. Both sacraments will be received in third grade at the same Mass. Keep reading for more information on the restored order, including the basics of what a sacrament is and how this initia- tive could spark a new outpouring of faith in northern Colorado. First, what is a sacrament? Most Catholics know the names of the sacraments, but they might not know the definition of a sacrament. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) defines sacraments as "e³ca- cious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us" (1131). What are the sacraments of initiation? There are seven sacraments in the Church: baptism, confirmation, Eucha- rist, reconciliation, anointing of the sick, holy orders and matrimony. The Church refers to baptism, confirmation and Eucharist as "sacraments of initi- ation," as they "lay the foundations of every Christian life" (CCC, 1212). OK, so what do you mean by "restored order"? The "restored order" refers to cele- brating the sacraments of initiation in the order in which God designed them to be given: baptism, confirmation, first Eucharist. It also restores the practice of administering the sacraments of con- firmation and first Eucharist when they reach the age of reason. Practically speaking, how will this look for my children? Your children will prepare for the sacrament of reconciliation and begin going to confession in second grade. The following year, they will prepare for confirmation and first Eucharist, and receive both sacraments at the same Mass in third grade. When did this order get disrupted? It happened in 1910, when Pope St. Pius X lowered the age of first Com- munion to the age of reason (around 7 years old). When he did so, he did not address the age of confirmation, thus leaving us with our current practice of delayed confirmation. Why is the Archdiocese of Denver doing this now? The Archdiocese of Denver is restor- ing confirmation to its original place because children need more grace at an earlier age to become saints in our increasingly secular world. The arch- diocese is not doing this on its own, but is responding to calls made in the documents of Vatican II, Pope Benedict XVI's document Sacramentum Caritatis, and the personal encouragement Ben- edict XVI gave to Archbishop Samuel Aquila in 2012. Won't the confirmed kids just drop out of religious education earlier? They might. It depends on their par- ents, who are the primary teachers of the faith for their children. Parents and siblings have the first responsibility of being an example of Jesus Christ to each other and living the Gospel each day. Children will stay in religious educa- tion if they see their parents striving to grow in holiness through family prayer, Scripture reading, Sunday Mass, regular confession, and living a life of charity. It is the parent's responsibility to see that their children grow in the faith. Our par- ishes are there to assist in this process. How can children make an adult commitment to the Church at such a young age? Contrary to a widespread mispercep- tion, confirmation is not the sacrament of adult commitment to the faith. It is a cause of spiritual maturity, not rec- ognition of physical maturity. As the Catechism says, "Although confirma- tion is sometimes called the 'sacrament of Christian maturity,' we must not confuse adult faith with the adult age of natural growth, nor forget that the baptismal grace is a grace of free, unmerited election and does not need 'ratification' to become eƒective." Con- firmation assists those who receive it in growing in Christian maturity. When will the transition happen? It depends on your parish. It is expected that parishes in the Archdiocese of Denver will begin implementation of the restored order anytime over a three-year period between the fall of 2017 and the spring of 2020, but some pastors have already begun to implement the restored order. The actual timeline will be up to each pastor to decide. What does this mean for the rest of us? First, it will underscore the fact that the Holy Eucharist, not confirmation, is the culmination of Christian initiation. It will also help to remind the faithful that the six other sacraments are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. Also, this is an opportunity to redis- cover the meaning and purpose of our own initiation into Christ's body. Our hope is that change will prompt the faithful to encounter the origin, depth, and meaning of all the sacraments, help- ing them grow in their relationship with Our Lord. A brief catechism on the "restored order" Dial in and read up on the restored order Archbishop Samuel Aquila is launching a restoration of the sac- raments of initiation for children in the Archdiocese of Denver. What does this entail? Find out more through resources made available at www.archden.org/saints. PASTORAL LETTER Archbishop Aquila's pastoral letter Saints Among Us guides faithful through the change in the order of the sacraments of initiation for youth in the Church. An online version of the letter is available at www.archden.org/saints. LIVE Q-AND-A PHONE CALL Would you like to ask the arch- bishop a question about the restored order? Join other Catho- lics for a live Q -and-A event with the archbishop. Dial in to listen and ask questions starting 7 p.m. May 28. Register for the phone call by visiting www.archden.org/saints or by texting "bishop" to 313131. VIDEOS Watch Archbishop Aquila and other prominent theologians, religious, educators, parents, and Church leaders explore the history and richness of the sacraments of ini- tiation: baptism, confirmation and first Eucharist. Watch the video online at www.archden.org/saints. IN-DEPTH Explore the restored order through a series of 13 videos and Q -and-A on the restored order. Professors and Catholic leaders in the community give a series of pre- sentations on sacramental life, the early Church, youth ministry and more to provide an in-depth look at the sacraments of initiation. Visit www.archden.org/saints. Archbishop Samuel Aquila confirms youth at Queen of Peace Parish last year. PHOTO BY DANIEL PETTY/DENVER CATHOLIC

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