The heart work was supposed to be done by the parents for 7-16 years before Confirmation. Nearly everything that predicts faithfulness through young adulthood is related to the parents. Catechesis is the most non-parental part, and even that ought to have significant parental involvement. It is not sensible to expect catechists to make u…
The heart work was supposed to be done by the parents for 7-16 years before Confirmation. Nearly everything that predicts faithfulness through young adulthood is related to the parents. Catechesis is the most non-parental part, and even that ought to have significant parental involvement. It is not sensible to expect catechists to make up, in 2 hours a week for 9 months of Confirmation classes, for years of religious neglect.
Putting lots of effort into people who don't care and won't stay is thoroughly demoralizing. When somewhere around 40% leave as teens/young adults, and the teachers and sponsors can do little about that, I think the only way to get along is to do it heartily for God, and to simultaneously be thoroughly detached from the results.
But there is another aspect that plays into Confirmation: The Confirmation sponsor has an obligation to "take care that the person confirmed behaves as a true witness of Christ and faithfully fulfills the duties inherent in this sacrament." It's not just an obligation to be nice to the sponsee and give them religious things. Perhaps this is the answer: sponsors who are convinced their sponsee is not going to remain Catholic, should refuse to sponsor them.
Oh i couldn’t agree more! But this requirement was specified to be for RCIA too which would be adults new to the faith. Aka even more absurd to legalize attendance bc if they didn’t want to be there why would they? But yes for children prep I second your points 1000 percent
The heart work was supposed to be done by the parents for 7-16 years before Confirmation. Nearly everything that predicts faithfulness through young adulthood is related to the parents. Catechesis is the most non-parental part, and even that ought to have significant parental involvement. It is not sensible to expect catechists to make up, in 2 hours a week for 9 months of Confirmation classes, for years of religious neglect.
Putting lots of effort into people who don't care and won't stay is thoroughly demoralizing. When somewhere around 40% leave as teens/young adults, and the teachers and sponsors can do little about that, I think the only way to get along is to do it heartily for God, and to simultaneously be thoroughly detached from the results.
But there is another aspect that plays into Confirmation: The Confirmation sponsor has an obligation to "take care that the person confirmed behaves as a true witness of Christ and faithfully fulfills the duties inherent in this sacrament." It's not just an obligation to be nice to the sponsee and give them religious things. Perhaps this is the answer: sponsors who are convinced their sponsee is not going to remain Catholic, should refuse to sponsor them.
Oh i couldn’t agree more! But this requirement was specified to be for RCIA too which would be adults new to the faith. Aka even more absurd to legalize attendance bc if they didn’t want to be there why would they? But yes for children prep I second your points 1000 percent