Breviloquium

Concerning the Sacrament of confirmation, this must be held: that for its integrity a vocal form is required, which according to the more common usage is this: I sign you with the sign of the cross, I confirm you with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. — Chrism is also required, which is compounded from olive oil and balsam; when, through the bishop's hand, the sign of the cross is imprinted on the forehead under the aforesaid form of the words of confirmation, the Sacrament is received; through it a person is confirmed as a champion to confess the name of Christ boldly and publicly.¹

The reason for understanding the foregoing is this: our principle of restoration, namely, the incarnate Word, just as it was eternally conceived in the heart of the Father and temporally appeared to man in sensible flesh, so restores no one unless he both conceives it in his heart by believing and brings forth outwardly what he has believed by making the requisite confession; such is a truthful confession, full of truth, which is not only speculative but also practical truth. Now this is the confession in which there is not only “the conformity of intellect, speech, and thing,”² but also in which the whole person is conformed to the truth according to the understanding of reason, the delight of the will, and the adherence of virtue, so that it is from the whole heart, soul, and mind,³ so that it is from a pure heart, a good conscience, and an unfeigned faith; and such is an integral, peaceful, and fearless confession: integral by reason of the one concerning whom it is made; peaceful by reason of the one before whom it is made; fearless by reason of the one from whom that confession must be made. Since, therefore, the fainthearted person is not fit for this unless he is confirmed through the hand of heavenly grace, the Sacrament of confirmation was divinely instituted for this purpose as following immediately after baptism.

Since “the end imposes necessity on the things that are ordered to the end,”⁴ therefore this Sacrament must be made integral according to the demands of the foregoing confession and its conditions, namely, the three mentioned above. First, then, since this confession must be integral—and the integrity of confession consists in confessing Christ as a true man crucified for men, and the same Christ as the true incarnate Son of God, in all things coequal in the Trinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit—it follows that in the vocal form there is expressed not only the act of confirmation, but also the sign of the cross itself and the name of the most blessed Trinity.

Furthermore, since confession must be peaceful by reason of the one before whom it is made, and must be made before God and human beings,⁵ and it cannot please God unless there are present the light of understanding and the brightness of conscience, nor one's neighbor unless there are present the fragrance of a good reputation and an honorable life, therefore, to designate these in the exterior element, olive oil, which is bright, and balsam, which is fragrant, are mixed together; thereby signifying that the confession to which this Sacrament orders and disposes a person must join the brightness of conscience and understanding with the sweet fragrance both of life and reputation, lest there be any contradiction between tongue and conscience, or between tongue and reputation, on account of which such a confession would neither be accepted by a human being nor approved by Christ.

Finally, since such confession must be fearless, so that one does not, out of shame or fear, fail to speak the truth, nor⁶ in a time of persecution fear or blush to confess publicly the ignominious death of Christ on the cross, especially dreading to fall into a similar punishment and disgrace of the Passion; and such fear and shame appear especially in the face, and most of all in the forehead: therefore, to drive away all shame and fear, an authoritative hand is imposed, which confirms, and the cross is imprinted on the forehead, so that one does not blush to confess it publicly, nor fear, for confessing the name of Christ, to endure, if necessary, any punishment or disgrace whatever, like a true champion anointed for battle and like a brave soldier, bearing on his forehead the sign of his king and the triumphal banner of his cross, with which he is ready to break through the enemy ranks without fear. For the glory of the cross cannot be preached freely if the punishment and disgrace of the cross are feared, in accord with what the holy Andrew said: “If I feared the disgrace of the cross, I would not preach the glory of the cross.”⁷