It is hazardous to write about children because you risk condescending, or making fun of them in that “kids say the funniest things” way – which in no time will curl the toes of all involved; or you invade their privacy. “Kids” itself sounds patronising to me. So with this in mind I asked our son William if he minded that I write about his not wanting to get confirmed, and he said he didn’t – mind, that is; he also doesn’t want to get confirmed. And we’re not pushing it, because what good would that do? He would only end up more firmly lapsed, like people did in the old days. Take a friend of mine whose confirmation a few weeks before his 12th birthday is seared on his memory for the wrong reasons. For one thing, he requested Thomas, after the doubting Apostle, as his confirmation name  – not unreasonably, given his rapidly developing agnosticism. This was refused. And for another, his confirmation clashed with the 1970 World Cup final – one of the greatest football matches ever, featuring the legendary Brazil team including Pelé against Italy. Bishop Egan of Portsmouth seems to recognise that the old way of herding young people mindlessly into this sacrament rarely resulted in meaningful conversion. It’s presumably for this reason that in his diocese he requires candidates to write a letter to him stating their desire to be confirmed and describing their “personal faith journey”. Surely this approach is more likely to lead to real conversion. In the bishop’s moving words: “Write what is in your heart and take this endeavour seriously.”