Age at Confirmation

[dranzal]

I would like to ask again,

Would it be possible or at all practical for a Latin Catholic to take their babies to an Eastern Catholic Church to receive all three sacraments? If that were possible, would the babies then be allowed to receive in their home Latin parish?

Thanks.

 

[chrysostom15]

The Pope has come out in his new Encyclical Sacramentum Caritatis and said that Roman Catholic should consider moving Confirmation up to a much earlier age. He said:

The order of the sacraments of initiation

1. In this regard, attention needs to be paid to the order of the sacraments of initiation. Different traditions exist within the Church. There is a clear variation between, on the one hand, the ecclesial customs of the East (50) and the practice of the West regarding the initiation of adults, (51) and, on the other hand, the procedure adopted for children. (52) Yet these variations are not properly of the dogmatic order, but are pastoral in character. Concretely, it needs to be seen which practice better enables the faithful to put the sacrament of the Eucharist at the centre, as the goal of the whole process of initiation. In close collaboration with the competent offices of the Roman Curia, Bishops’ Conferences should examine the effectiveness of current approaches to Christian initiation, so that the faithful can be helped both to mature through the formation received in our communities and to give their lives an authentically eucharistic direction, so that they can offer a reason for the hope within them in a way suited to our times (cf. 1 Pet 3:15).

This still seems to be a major debate, at least in the dioceses of the PNW. I am wondering if there’s any data or research that’s been done on this topic, specifically: do those Catholics who have been confirmed younger (say age 10-12) end up practicing their faith with any more regularity or devotion than those confirmed relatively older (high school age or beyond)? Links to any figures would be awesome. Barring that, opinions/discussions/personal experiences would still be interesting. Thanks!

 

[Spirithound]

Would it be possible or at all practical for a Latin Catholic to take their babies to an Eastern Catholic Church to receive all three sacraments? If that were possible, would the babies then be allowed to receive in their home Latin parish?

I don’t know the legalities of it, but I do know that once a person is baptized and/or confirmed, they cannot receive that sacrament again (because it makes an indelible mark on the soul). I can’t see any problem with receiving Communion in either Church tho.

 

[Colorado_Mike]

My wife and I converted to the Church (amen!) in 2001. Our oldest 2 kids had been baptized in the Lutheran church, so at their first communion they had the opportunity to make a profession of faith and be confirmed at AGE 7. We are trying hard to figure out how to have the other 3 confirmed at a similar age.

As my wife said, she can’t imagine sending our kids into their teenage years without the full and sacramental protection of the Holy Spirit!

 

[puzzleannie]

I would like to ask again,

Would it be possible or at all practical for a Latin Catholic to take their babies to an Eastern Catholic Church to receive all three sacraments? If that were possible, would the babies then be allowed to receive in their home Latin parish?

Thanks.

you would have to ask the priest of the church where you will be taking them, but I believe you must have permission to change rites, and that the children are considered to be of their father’s rite. If you decide as a family to join an Eastern Rite, I think that is a one time thing and you can’t change back and forth. Better speak to the priest of the rite you are considering.

 

[puzzleannie]

My wife and I converted to the Church (amen!) in 2001. Our oldest 2 kids had been baptized in the Lutheran church, so at their first communion they had the opportunity to make a profession of faith and be confirmed at AGE 7. We are trying hard to figure out how to have the other 3 confirmed at a similar age.

As my wife said, she can’t imagine sending our kids into their teenage years without the full and sacramental protection of the Holy Spirit!

usually entire families join the Church together through RCIA. Ask your pastor. Or maybe I am not understanding and your younger children were born after you became Catholic. In that case, they follow the age as prescribed for sacraments in your diocese.

 

[otjm]

I would like to ask again,

Would it be possible or at all practical for a Latin Catholic to take their babies to an Eastern Catholic Church to receive all three sacraments? If that were possible, would the babies then be allowed to receive in their home Latin parish?

Thanks.

I am assuming by the second receive that you mean Eucharist.

I can’t find where I ad read about htis some time ago, but it seems to me that the issue is covered by Canon law, and I believe that the short answer is no, and no.

If you belong to one Rite (and if you are Catholic, you do), then you are constrained by the laws and regulations of that rite. That would conver issues such as the age of reception of the sacraments of Confirmation, and the intial reception of the Eucharist.

I seem to recall the issue in reverse, that a child as an infant had received the Eucharist in their rite and had subsequently been presented for the Eucharist at a Mass in the Latin rite, and if I recall correctly, was denied. But I don’t recall how that wokred out eventually; whether the Latin rite priest was correct in refusing Communion to the child (who was obviously younger than 7) or not.

Those who have received their first Eucharist in the Latin rite may certainly receive in other Eastern rites, however.

 

[blndgrl87]

Hello-
I am new to the forum and i apologize that i didnt read a lot of replys. if this has already been discussed, just please direct me to where it is.

I am new to my church and in RCIA, my nephew frequents church with me (cuz i can give him a ride). IF he were to decide that the wants to be Catholic, i know he would go through RCIA and need a sponsor like me. I also know that RCIA generally does all sacraments at the same time. so now to my question… He is 12, he would finish rcia before the time the rest of the kids his age are confirmed (around here, its jr. in high school). so would he only receive 1st eucharist and wait on confirmation? or would he just be ahead of the rest of the kids his age?
Thanks in advance!
Em

 

[puzzleannie]

Hello-
I am new to the forum and i apologize that i didnt read a lot of replys. if this has already been discussed, just please direct me to where it is.

I am new to my church and in RCIA, my nephew frequents church with me (cuz i can give him a ride). IF he were to decide that the wants to be Catholic, i know he would go through RCIA and need a sponsor like me. I also know that RCIA generally does all sacraments at the same time. so now to my question… He is 12, he would finish rcia before the time the rest of the kids his age are confirmed (around here, its jr. in high school). so would he only receive 1st eucharist and wait on confirmation? or would he just be ahead of the rest of the kids his age?
Thanks in advance!
Em

If he is a baptized Catholic, he will prepare for the other sacraments at the age prescribed in your diocese, here he would start CCD, make first communion, continue with CCD and make confirmation in 10th grade. If he is not baptized, he would join an RCIA class with other children or youth his age and go take classes for at least a full year (2 years if on a school-year schedule) but that varies by diocese, and be fully initiated at the Easter Vigil, baptism, confirmation and first communion. If he is baptized in another Christian denomination, it depends on what the bishop prescribes for your diocese. Fastest way to get an answer is for his parents to go to the priest and inquire.

 

[guanophore]

Yes, I like the idea of moving to a quarterly (or even annual) reception of infants born in the previous year. This would make theological sense. Did not the early church have a “double sacrament” with baptism and confirmation?

Yes, and the Eastern Rites do baptism, confirmation, and eucharist all at the same time. You should see the look on the baby’s face when the Body and Soul are placed in the mouth!

These are all the sacraments of initiation. They were only separated from each other because everything was originally done with the bishop present, and the spread of the church outdistanced the ordination of bishops.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

I can’t find where I ad read about htis some time ago, but it seems to me that the issue is covered by Canon law, and I believe that the short answer is no, and no…

Not true.

While I won’t argue to sheer technicality of baptizing a Latin baby in an Eastern parish (it makes me dizzy to think about it)- Children who have been communicated in the Eastern Churches may receive in the Latin. If a priest or EMHC is refusing such a child, the priest or EMHC is wrong. They do it all the time here.