Abstract

The article deals with the works carried out on the reformation and renewal of Confirmation sacrament, Ordo Confirmationis, promulgated in 1971. The reform of the book was postulated in votes and suggestions by bishops, Roman Congregations and catholic universities and presented to the Holy See before the Council. Editorial works on Ordo Confirmationis were carried out by Consilium ad exsequendam Constitutionem de Sacra Liturgia and a special work team appointed especially for this task, namely, Coetus a Studiis XX, which consisted of experts on Confirmation liturgy history, theology and legal issues. The team prepared successive schemes of De Confirmatione, which were then discussed and consulted with the members of relevant Congregations and submitted to Pope Paul VI for assessment. Ordo Confirmationis is mainly the work of Coetus a Studiis XX, whereas Praenotanda were prepared by The Congregation for Divine Worship in cooperation with other discasteria of the Holy See. The final version of Ordo Confirmationis was preceded by a special Apostolic Constitution, Divinae consortiun naturae, in which the Pope approved of the rites and defined a significant sacramental sign of Confirmation (substance and formula). Since then, Confirmation is usually bestowed during the Holy Mass and, in other cases, it is always combined with the Liturgy of the Word.