God loves us, and would never turn away anyone who seeks Him with a sincere heart! As God’s disciples, the Church is equally accepting, or at least strives to be. Therefore, students, seeking Confirmation in the Roman Catholic Church, are seeking neither the acceptance of God (who is already with them and always has been) nor of the Church.

Rather, the term candidate derives from the Latin root candidus meaning white, pure, innocent or sincere. Roman Catholics believe individuals seeking Confirmation are sincere and pure.  White is a symbolic color of Confirmation.

The period of preparation undertaken by Confirmation Candidates, is meant to both educate students and give them real life experiences of the Church.  This period can help candidates grow in faith and be ready to fully commit to The Spirit at Confirmation.

So why are people running for political office also called candidates?   Ironically, for the same reason as above!  Men, who ran for public office in   ancient Rome, tried to prove to the people, just how pure and honest they   were. One way they attempted to prove their sincerity was by wearing long   white togas so they would stand out in a crowd and make it easier for others   to observe their “innocent and sincere” actions. The rest as the saying goes   “is history.”