Difference on teaching about Communion between East and West

[Vico]

I don’t doubt that the effects of Communion is there regardless of our ability to recognize it. And I know the Roman Church’s rule is more diciplinary. I’m just wondering why there is so much emphasis on it, from waiting 'til children are 7 to denying it to dying patients who have lost consciousness but are otherwise alive.

Something significant happened in the Latin Church that changed their sacramental discipline: confession and communion was less frequent. So as a result annual confession and communion was legislated at the Fourth Lateran Council (1215 A.D.). The age of discretion was the time at which annual communion was first required, but infant communion was not prohibited by the Council. In practice, first communion was delayed till ages 10-12 with confession preceeding it. Confirmation was promoted before communion, as early as at baptism, when the bishop was present, otherwise the bishops would tour the diocese and confirm those that were baptised, so some received it as adults. The Synod of Cologne (1280 A.D.) first urged confirmation at or after age 7. It gradually became expected to receive catechesis before first communion.

See: Ages of initiation: the first two Christian millennia, by Paul Turner, pp. 28-33 (chapter 8 is on the age of discretion 1215-1519).

Baptism preceeds all sacraments. Then, nowadays, first penance preceeds both confirmation and first eucharist, at the age of discretion or later (i.e. age 7) because the state of grace is required for their reception.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Something significant happened in the Latin Church that changed their sacramental discipline: confession and communion was less frequent. So as a result annual confession and communion was legislated at the Fourth Lateran Council (1215 A.D.). The age of discretion was the time at which annual communion was first required, but infant communion was not prohibited by the Council. In practice, first communion was delayed till ages 10-12 with confession preceeding it. Confirmation was promoted before communion, as early as at baptism, when the bishop was present, otherwise the bishops would tour the diocese and confirm those that were baptised, so some received it as adults. The Synod of Cologne (1280 A.D.) first urged confirmation at or after age 7. It gradually became expected to receive catechesis before first communion.

See: Ages of initiation: the first two Christian millennia, by Paul Turner, pp. 28-33 (chapter 8 is on the age of discretion 1215-1519).

Baptism preceeds all sacraments. Then, nowadays, first penance preceeds both confirmation and first eucharist, at the age of discretion or later (i.e. age 7) because the state of grace is required for their reception.

And to relate this to the East, I wonder why the West sees the necessity but not the East. Is it cultural?

 

[Vico]

And to relate this to the East, I wonder why the West sees the necessity but not the East. Is it cultural?

Three of the earliest resons (given in the book) show that it was gradual. Meanwhile, the eastern churches continued to follow the original tradition of infant communion.

1. Since infants do not need communion for salvation, and the annual communion was only required by the Church (Lateran IV 1215) at or after the age of discretion, people began to wait.
2. St. Thomas Aquinas (lived 1225-1274) expressed concern that the precious blood would be spilled.
3. Pope Leo X (Pope: 1513-1521) prohibited infants from receiving, to resolve an issue in Bohemia.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Three of the earliest resons (given in the book) show that it was gradual. Meanwhile, the eastern churches continued to follow the original tradition of infant communion.

1. Since infants do not need communion for salvation, and the annual communion was only required by the Church (Lateran IV 1215) at or after the age of discretion, people began to wait.
2. St. Thomas Aquinas (lived 1225-1274) expressed concern that the precious blood would be spilled.
3. Pope Leo X (Pope: 1513-1521) prohibited infants from receiving, to resolve an issue in Bohemia.

The dates you posted are post-Great Schism, is that another reason why this practice didn’t really evolve in the East?

 

[Vico]

The dates you posted are post-Great Schism, is that another reason why this practice didn’t really evolve in the East?

The book, in chapter 7, states that during the period of 965 and 1215 were a time of relative prosperity and cultural revival in the west along with Pope Gregory VII’s (Pope: 1073-1085) declarations of central papal authority, allowed practical adjustment of the sacramental rites. The Crusades were 1095 to 1270 and were very hard on the east.