At what age are adult children responsible for themselves?

[Vince_Langlois]

I have an 18-year-old who does not want to attend Mass every week. She has nothing against going, but she wants to be able to make that choice. She attends college out of town, and I told her when she is home, she has to go to Mass every weekend. I need to know when the responsibility of going to church shifts from the parent to the child. This has caused a lot of stress in the family.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Adult children are responsible for themselves when they assume complete responsibility for themselves. In other words, if your daughter is dependent upon you for education, shelter, and (potentially) health and auto insurance, she is not fully independent, no matter her biological age. So long as she is your dependent, you have the right to insist that she meet her religious obligations.

That said, I think your daughter has a false notion of “freedom.” She seems to think that adult practicing Catholics are free to skip Mass whenever they want. Technically, that is true: There are no Catholic police who will cite absentee Catholics for skipping Mass. But skipping Mass on Sundays and holy days without just reason is grave matter; when done with adequate knowledge and deliberate consent, it is a mortal sin.

What your daughter needs to realize is that becoming an adult does not “free” her from religious obligations; what it does is to free her to assume full adult responsibility for her religious obligations.