Q:

Can a Roman Catholic be re-catechized and re-confirmed?

As I understand it, many Catholics mark the sacraments according to the human lifespan. During infancy, children born in Catholic families would be baptized. Around 7 years of age, children would typically have their First Holy Communion. Around 14 years of age, children would typically have to take confirmation classes and be confirmed. Okay. So, let's say a Catholic doesn't really pay attention to Sunday school or confirmation class or thinks the theology is too confusing and dense or falls half-asleep in class due to boredom. And the only reason why he wants to get confirmed is that his family has a tradition of giving out confirmation presents. In adulthood, the Catholic tries to be a good Catholic, but the information that he was supposed to learn never got encoded into his memory. Plus, he might pick up some heretical information from a Lutheran friend or a Quaker friend. If the priest suspects that such a person is completely ignorant of Catholic theology, would the priest recommend a re-catechism and re-confirmation? If the said person confesses that he has completely forgotten everything he learned, then can such a person receive a re-catechism or re-confirmation, or is it too late as he was already confirmed? Basically, I am just wondering whether Confirmation is an one-time deal in life or can be given out despite that the individual is already confirmed (however poorly catechized he might be).

A:

The Catholic canon law  889 §1 says that those eligible to be confirmed are: "Every baptized person not yet confirmed and only such a person is capable of receiving confirmation" (My emphasis).

A:

Confirmation cannot be administered more than once.  In the Catechism we read:

1304 Like Baptism which it completes, Confirmation is given only once, for it too imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual mark, the “character,” which is the sign that Jesus Christ has marked a Christian with the seal of his Spirit by clothing him with power from on high so that he may be his witness. [Cf. Council of Trent (1547) DS 1609; Lk 24:48-49]

As for continuing catechesis, this is not only necessary as we grow, anyone who takes their faith seriously will continue to learn and grow.

