From next year, children in Ireland preparing for their Confirmation will be encouraged to pledge not to vape until they turn 18, as reported by The Journal. This is an expansion of Ireland’s long-standing Confirmation pledge tradition, in which 12-year-olds promise to abstain from alcohol until adulthood. Now, Church leaders are updating that pledge to include abstaining from alcohol, smoking and vaping until 18.
It’s a sign of the times: As vaping has become a growing concern for young people’s health, the Catholic Church in Ireland is responding by guiding children toward healthier choices.
The initiative isn’t just about saying “no” to certain behaviors; it’s part of a broader effort by the Church to promote healthier lifestyle choices during young people’s formative years. In partnership with Catholic schools, the Irish Bishops’ Drugs and Alcohol Initiative will provide a new online module to help students understand and commit to the updated pledge.
By integrating this pledge into Confirmation preparation, the Church is reinforcing the idea that caring for one’s body is an important aspect of living out one’s faith.
Honoring Matt Talbot – The "Apostle of Hope"
This modern pledge comes with an inspiring patron: Venerable Matt Talbot, whom the Church in Ireland is honoring on the 100th anniversary of his death.
Talbot was a humble Dubliner born in 1856, and his life story has earned him the nickname “Apostle of Hope” -- a perfect figure of inspiration in this Jubilee Year of Hope.
In his youth, Talbot struggled with a severe alcohol addiction -- by the age of 13 he was considered a “hopeless alcoholic." For years he spent most of his wages on drink, sinking deeper into dependency and despair.
That changed dramatically when Talbot was 28. After a particularly humbling incident (friends refused to buy him a drink when he had no money), he went home and announced to his mother that he was going to “take the pledge” -- a solemn promise to renounce alcohol.
He took an initial pledge for three months, then extended it to life. Remarkably, Talbot stayed sober for the remaining 40 years of his life, relying on daily Mass, prayer, and the sacraments to sustain him. He embraced a life of penance and deep spirituality, even secretly wearing chains of mortification under his clothes as a sign of devotion and self-discipline.
When he died suddenly on a Dublin street in 1925, those chains were discovered on his body, revealing to the world the depth of his faith and commitment.
Today, Matt Talbot is revered for his heroic journey from addiction to holiness. The Catholic Church has declared him Venerable, recognizing his “heroic virtue” on the path toward potential canonized sainthood.
Fittingly, he’s considered a patron for people struggling with alcoholism and other addictions. The Irish bishops see Talbot’s story as a beacon of hope for anyone battling dependency. As The Journal shared, they describe him as a “figure of deep faith and personal transformation, whose legacy of prayer, penance, and devotion to the sacraments offers real hope for those struggling with addiction today."
By linking the new no-vaping pledge to Talbot’s memory, the Church hopes to honor his legacy and inspire young people with the example of someone who overcame addiction through faith and perseverance.
Guiding youth in body and soul
This expanded Confirmation pledge highlights the important role the Church plays in guiding children not only spiritually, but in their lifestyle choices as well. Confirmation is a sacrament that strengthens a young person’s commitment to their faith -- but it’s also a moment to encourage them to live out that faith in practical ways.
“The sacrament of confirmation … [provides] a wonderful opportunity to speak to a large cohort of young people and their parents and guardians,” explained Bishop Michael Router, who helps lead the Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative, according to The Irish Independent. In other words, the Church is using this milestone to have a frank conversation about real-world challenges facing youth.
By urging kids to steer clear of alcohol, cigarettes and e-cigarettes, Church leaders are promoting the virtue of temperance (self-control and moderation) in a very tangible manner. As Bishop Router continued to share:
“The aim [of the pledge] is to warn them of the dangers of what is available nowadays to young people, but shouldn’t be.”
Those dangers are real: Even though Ireland banned the sale of vaping products to minors in 2023, almost 10% of 13-year-olds had already tried vaping by 2024, according to the Irish Times. E-cigarettes with sweet flavors and even some containing synthetic cannabinoids have been enticing teens, sometimes with harmful effects on their health.
By adding vaping to the pledge, the Church is responding to new threats to youths’ well-being, just as it has long warned against underage drinking and drugs.
Church officials emphasize that this pledge is about caring for young people’s physical and mental health, not just enforcing rules. In fact the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference emphasized this in a recent statement shared by Irish Independent:
“It [the pledge] also supports our young people in terms of physical and mental health, and goes some way to address the concerns of parents regarding new and harmful substances impacting the health and well-being of their children.”
In Catholic teaching, the body is considered a “temple of the Holy Spirit,” and protecting one’s health is a way to respect God’s gift of life. By integrating that message into Confirmation prep, the Church in Ireland is reminding families that faith and healthy living go hand in hand.
An inspiration beyond Ireland
The Irish proactive approach could serve as an example far beyond its borders. Across the world, communities are grappling with the rise of teen vaping and other addictive behaviors. Ireland’s updated Confirmation pledge is a creative way to tackle this issue – one that combines moral guidance with health education.
It shows how religious institutions can adapt cherished traditions to address contemporary problems, all while staying true to core values. Other countries might take note of this initiative as a positive model for youth engagement. After all, helping young people make good choices is a universal concern, whether it’s about substances, relationships, or technology.
In fact, the idea of a pledge could extend to other modern challenges. Many parents and educators worry not only about vaping or drinking, but also about excessive screen time, online addictions, and the impact of social media on youth. While these issues are different, the principle is similar -- guiding children to use freedom responsibly and form healthy habits.
The Church’s leadership in promoting moderation and virtue could potentially inspire initiatives around digital well-being as well. Imagine Confirmation candidates pledging to use their phones and screens in moderation, or to take a break from social media for a time, as a way to keep their minds and souls healthy.
These kinds of commitments, grounded in faith and supported by community, can help young people develop discipline and self-awareness in an otherwise overwhelming digital age.
