Ideally, Confirmation is conferred by a bishop, a successor of the Apostles who first received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Priests may, however, confirm those who are received into the Church at the moment of their conversion; and priests may confirm in other cases when delegated to do so by the bishop.

Today, Confirmation is typically celebrated during a Mass, with the ritual inserted after the Gospel and homily. The essential elements in the Sacrament of Confirmation are the laying on of hands, the anointing of the forehead with Chrism, and the invocation of the Holy Spirit.