JAJ

Polly - it depends on which Protestant tradition you are talking about. What you say may be true for Anglicans (and especially in the past) but more recently, many Protestant denominations (the ones which have Holy Communion - not all do) no longer have this requirement. In most cases, it's no longer necessary even to be a member of the denomination concerned.

BadgeIsBack

Surprised that I never got confirmed? Or surprised at the age. (I meant of course that getting confirmed before say 12 seemed young - to me).

There are people in my family (some of whom are bona fide 'godzoners' lol) who feel I let my grandfather (he of the funny cassocks and robes) down by not getting confirmed. But I never fancied it.

I can get red wine in the offy.

JAJ

People should not get confirmed unless they want it. Frog-marching entire classes of schoolkids through the process renders the whole thing pretty meaningless, IMO.

And that said, in most Protestant denominations, confirmation is generally optional and those who choose not to be, or who miss out for various reasons, are not excluded in any way.

BadgeIsBack

Absolutely. My old man did it because he wanted to appease/impress my mother - no crime of course. He kept on telling the priest how interested my mother would be in some aspect of the course which almost got him thrown off it.

My mother has alot of interest and opinion on ecclesiastical routine such as this and has recently written to my wife about a few considerations for our daughter as to where she might attend and any complications that might arise. She is Catholic-confirmed, I'm Anglican and only got as far as singing in the choir for a few years earning the princely sum of 50pc a pop for my troubles.

B

Pollyana

Merely surprised that it was not part of your upbringing, thats all, in the light of past conversations. Not shocked or anything, just eyebrow lifting, thats all. I'm sure you know its fairly unusual for a child in a family that close to the church not to be confirmed. You were obviously as clear about your decisions then as you are now. I was just as clear about my decision at the age of 11, but looking back I wonder what my Dad would've said if I had refused to be confirmed.
As for the age, 12 is about normal for C of E, but like I said before, Catholics seem to go to their First Communion a lot earlier.

I really only posted on the thread as I know there is a distinction between C of E/C of A and Roman Catholic and I think the two were getting confused. bearing in mind that a lot of posters on the forum consider sending their children to church schools for the first time, when they arrive in Aus, I wonder what their take on First Communion and confirmation is? (just pure personal interest, thats all)

Pollyana

Lucky you! I had to sing for free. Mind you, we did have some eye-candy in the choir to appease my teenage heart!
My nephew, who is now a head-boy in a major Anglican church choir, currently gets £20 per wedding! How things have changed!!

OzTennis

That Aled Jones boy 'done good' too.

OzTennis

Pollyana

he certainly did. My nephew has a voice just as powerful and moving, must be the Welsh in him! He sang Danny Boy note perfect, at Dad's funeral in July, no mean feat for a (then) 12 year old, but he wanted to "honour his grandad" The choir has made a CD, and he reached the semi-finals of the BBC2 Chorister of the Year 2006, so I am a Very Proud Aunty of a (minor) celebrity

Big Galah

Just to clear some confusion, seeing as the original question was in relation to Catholic communion:

Normally, for children brought up in the Catholic (okay you want to be pedantic - Roman Catholic) flavour of Christianity, the sequence goes something like:

First Confession followed by a separate First Holy Communion ceremony (prob a few days later) at about age 7,

Confirmation at about age 11/12.

The confirmation thing is, I believe, where the recipient makes the decision to 'confirm' their belief in what the church is about, and to become a fully paid-up adult member.

The reality for me was being hearded with all the other kids in my class into both - I was never asked if I wanted to do either, which is just as well, as I probably would have said "no" to confirmation, only to be told that I didn't have a choice.

This was typical of growing up in 1970's Ireland, and probably responsible for my cynicism towards religion now...

But there you go.

Of course, things may have changed, but in relation to the Catholic church I'd guess "not much".

Big.