Bierzmowanie – sakramentem dojrzałości czy sakramentem kształtowania dojrzałości?
Confirmation – a sacrament of maturity or a sacrament of emerging maturity?

Summary/Abstract: In colloquial language as well as in the catechesis and religion lessons taught in schools, Confirmation is described as a sacrament of maturity. However, such description is incorrect as in the Polish Church Confirmation is received by young people of secondary school age. At such an age young people are still undergoing quite a dynamic development before achieving maturity in personality and life. For Confirmation to be considered as a sacrament of maturity it would need to possess some “magic” functions, for example, at the time of receiving Confirmation an immature young individual would immediately become a mature person. Therefore, Confirmation should be interpreted as a sacrament of coming of age, of emerging maturity. This is because in accordance with its definition, the purpose of Confirmation is to support the development, to stimulate Christian excellence. Consequently, it is necessary to move away from understanding Confirmation as a sacrament of maturity and to stress its developing functions in Christian education.

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