Can my Presbyterian child receive First Communion?

[jmpwinston]

I am not Catholic but my husband is. We were not married in the Catholic Church and our children were baptized Presbyterian. Our children are now in Catholic school and our eldest has expressed that he wants to make his First Communion next year because learning about God is important to him. If he is not baptized Catholic can this still be a consideration?

Since I am not not Catholic, do I need to consider converting in order for him to proceed? If there are religious ceremonies in the future, will I be prevented from participating or receiving Communion because I am not Catholic? And if I needed to convert in order to be able to participate as a family in Catholic rituals, what would I need to do? I realize there are many questions here but I am very lost right now.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

I am not Catholic but my husband is. We were not married in the Catholic Church and our children were baptized Presbyterian. Our children are now in Catholic school and our eldest has expressed that he wants to make his First Communion next year because learning about God is important to him. If he is not baptized Catholic can this still be a consideration?

If your son has not been received into the Catholic Church since his Protestant baptism, then he would need to be received into the Catholic Church before he could make his first confession (which precedes Communion) and then First Communion. As his father is Catholic and you evidently do not object, that should not be a problem. You and your husband can simply ask the pastor of your husband’s parish for information on how to start your son’s preparation.

jmpwinston:

Since I am not not Catholic, do I need to consider converting in order for him to proceed? If there are religious ceremonies in the future, will I be prevented from participating or receiving Communion because I am not Catholic? And if I needed to convert in order to be able to participate as a family in Catholic rituals, what would I need to do? I realize there are many questions here but I am very lost right now.

There are two issues here: The status of your marriage and your status as a non-Catholic Christian. When you and your husband married outside the Church, did he receive dispensations to marry you in a non-Catholic ritual? If so, then the marriage issue is not a problem. If not, then your marriage should be convalidated in the Catholic Church (your husband’s pastor can arrange this). The other issue is whether you desire to be Catholic. If so, then you can ask for reception into the Church. If not, then you are certainly welcome to attend Mass with your family but you ordinarily would not receive Catholic sacraments, including Communion.