Baltimore Catechism No. 1 (of 4) | Page 5

receive the Sacraments more than once, except Baptism, Confirmation,
and Holy Orders.

LESSON TWELFTH ON BAPTISM
152. Q. What is Baptism? A. Baptism is a Sacrament which cleanses us
from original sin, makes us Christians, children of God, and heirs of
heaven.
153. Q. Are actual sins ever remitted by Baptism? A. Actual sins and
all the punishment due to them are remitted by Baptism, if the person
baptized be guilty of any, and is rightly disposed.
154. Q. Is Baptism necessary to salvation? A. Baptism is necessary to
salvation, because without it we cannot enter into the kingdom of
heaven.
155. Q. Who can administer Baptism? A. The priest is the ordinary
minister of Baptism; but in case of necessity any one who has the use
of reason may baptize.
156. Q. How is Baptism given? A. Whoever baptizes should pour water
on the head of the person to be baptized, and say, while pouring the
water: I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost.

LESSON THIRTEENTH ON CONFIRMATION
166. Q. What is Confirmation? A. Confirmation is a Sacrament through
which we receive the Holy Ghost to make us strong and perfect
Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ.
167. Q. Who administers Confirmation? A. The bishop is the ordinary
minister of Confirmation.
168. Q. How does the bishop give Confirmation? A. The bishop
extends his hands over those who are to be confirmed, prays that they
may receive the Holy Ghost, and anoints the forehead of each with holy
chrism in the form of a cross.
170. Q. What does the bishop say in anointing the person he confirms?
A. In anointing the person he confirms the bishop says: I sign thee with
the sign of the cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
173. Q. To receive Confirmation worthily is it necessary to be in the
state of grace? A. To receive Confirmation worthily it is necessary to
be in the state of grace.
173a. Q. What is a state of grace? A. A state of grace is freedom from
mortal sin.
{T.N.: The above question is numbered 174 in the printed source, but a
different question is given in its place in Baltimore Catechism Nos. 2
and 4, where the topic is covered in Q. 55 and elsewhere.}
175. Q. Is it a sin to neglect Confirmation? A. It is a sin to neglect
Confirmation, especially in these evil days when faith and morals are
exposed to so many and such violent temptations.

LESSON FOURTEENTH ON THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE
187. Q. What is the Sacrament of Penance? A. Penance is a Sacrament
in which the sins committed after Baptism are forgiven.
191. Q. What must we do to receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily?
A. To receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily we must do five
things:
1. We must examine our conscience. 2. We must have sorrow for our
sins. 3. We must make a firm resolution never more to offend God. 4.
We must confess our sins to the priest. 5. We must accept the penance
which the priest gives us.
192. Q. What is the examination of conscience? A. The examination of

conscience is an earnest effort to recall to mind all the sins we have
committed since our last worthy confession.

LESSON FIFTEENTH ON CONTRITION
195. Q. What is contrition, or sorrow for sin? A. Contrition, or sorrow
for sin, is a hatred of sin and a true grief of the soul for having offended
God, with a firm purpose of sinning no more.
201. Q. Why should we be sorry for our sins? A. We should be sorry
for our sins, because sin is the greatest of evils and an offense against
God our Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer, and because mortal sin
shuts us out of heaven and condemns us to the eternal pains of hell.
206. Q. What do you mean by a firm purpose of sinning no more? A.
By a firm purpose of sinning no more I mean a fixed resolve not only
to avoid all mortal sin, but also its near occasions.
207. Q. What do you mean by the near occasions of sin? A. By the near
occasions of sin I mean all the persons, places, and things that may
easily lead us into sin.

LESSON SIXTEENTH ON CONFESSION
208. Q. What is Confession? A. Confession is the telling of our sins to
a duly authorized priest, for the purpose of obtaining forgiveness.
209. Q. What sins are we bound to confess? A. We are bound to
confess all our mortal sins, but it is well