Are young children (4/5 yrs old) permitted to partake of Sacrament of Reconciliation?

[FrDavid96]

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Father – I am astonished as to how you divorce the ability to reason from knowing right from wrong. It will be your choice --if a young child comes to you for confession and you send the child packing because in your mind the child has not developed the ability to reason. I pray for any child who may find themselves in that situation.

Walking, your self-righteous comments do not help your position. I do not have to answer to you for my decisions to administer the Sacraments only to those who are properly disposed.

I am not “divorcing” the two issues. I am explaining the definition of “reasoning.” It’s not my decision, it is the definition of the term.

 

[Joan_M]

While the age of 7 may be the normal age, there most definitely are children who attain the use of reason before that.

I, for one, received my First Holy Communion at the age of five years and four months. This was in a time when no-one received First Holy Communion without having gone to First Confession (sixty years ago).

Also, while my eldest son was seven when he first received, his brother (three years younger than him) received his First Communion at the age of five years and five months. He had been attending classes in the parish hall for some time, had also been taught by his kindergarten teacher, and sat with his brother and me when I was teaching his brother.

When the parish priest examined the children to determine which ones were ready, he realized that my son was very ready for the Sacraments. When his age was pointed out to the priest, his response was ’ he knows what he is about, don’t hold him back."

Certainly, most children would not be ready at age five, but some are.

 

[Walking_Home]

Walking, your self-righteous comments do not help your position. I do not have to answer to you for my decisions to administer the Sacraments only to those who are properly disposed.

I am not “divorcing” the two issues. I am explaining the definition of “reasoning.” It’s not my decision, it is the definition of the term.

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Father – you may call me what you want—but I will say again – I will pray for any young child that turns to a priest and is met with the idea the child cannot “think” well enough to reason.

 

[Aramis]

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Father – you may call me what you want—but I will say again – I will pray for any young child that turns to a priest and is met with the idea the child cannot “think” well enough to reason.

You should probably read a good education text on the developmental stages of children and children’s reason.

It’s well documented that about age 7, reasoning and rational thinking change drastically compared to age 5, and both from age 3.

 

[Seatuck]

You should probably read a good education text on the developmental stages of children and children’s reason.

It’s well documented that about age 7, reasoning and rational thinking change drastically compared to age 5, and both from age 3.

Yes, exactly. Of course there will always be those children who are exceptional but the very vast majority follow the typical growth.

childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/piaget.shtml

 

[Walking_Home]

Yes, exactly. Of course there will always be those children who are exceptional but the very vast majority follow the typical growth.

childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/piaget.shtml

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Follow “typical growth” because we as parents allow them to go with the flow. If we were to really devote the time to teach them from a young age – we may just be surprised how many would then be exceptional. Here I mean teaching them in matters of Faith and helping them develop a good moral character.