[TO TEM EDITOR 01 TEN "SPECTATOR:]
Six,—Your correspondent of last week, "A Parish Minister," asks for information as to the form of Confirmation in the Roman Church: such may also be of interest to your other
readers, The Bishop first imposes his bands in general over all who are to be confirmed, and next anoints each one in particular with the holy chrism. Whilst anointing the fore- head of each person the following form of words is used by the Bishop:—" I sign thee with the sign of the Cross, I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." The Bishop gives each person a little blow on the cheek, saying: "Pax tecum." The meaning of this is that the person con- firmed must now be ready to bear all things, even blows, for Christ. In very rare cases a priest may administer this Sacrament if, on account of the difficulty of access too Bishop, the Pope should delegate to him power to do so. But even in this case the oil must have been blessed by a Bishop. With regard to Holy Communion, whilst it is not uncommon for members of the Church of England to present themselves at Catholic altars abroad (unknown to the officiating minister), such action is an impertinence, and quite contrary to the ruling of those in authority. Were a Roman Catholic to take the Communion in the Church of England, each act would be one of absolute apostasy.—I am, Sir, &c., A PAPIST.
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