Do under 18s have a right to enter a Catholic church unaccompanied?

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Brendan_64

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I don’t know if this is the right forum for this, but with churches now opening for private prayer, my question is do Catholics under the age of 18 (particularly teenagers) have a right in Church law to enter a Catholic church unaccompanied in order to pray?

I have been told that in the current coronavirus crisis, under 18s are only allowed in our Catholic churches if they are accompanied by an adult. Is this consistent with Church law?
 
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I’m guessing this boils down to specific parish by parish policy. There is no universal Church law on this, and the default is likely for the church to be open to all. I could see the issue of unaccompanied minors being addressed in certain abuse-prevention policies of a parish or diocese.
 
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We’re living in a ridiculously litigious world these days, so I can see how a church, especially in an area prone to vandalism, might use this “rule” to kill two birds with one stone.

Edited to add:

Regardless of “church law,” if my son happened to be a parish priest, I’d be vehemently against permitting minors to be alone within any part of church property. False accusations are abominable and utterly horrid to deal with on any scale, whether on minor or extremely serious issues.
 
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Churches are open for anyone of any age to pray as they desire. If the church is open, barring any civil laws, they’re free to come.
 
Nik said:
It’s in a guidance note about how to open churches for private prayer (in England and Wales).
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Is it? It’s certainly not been publicised in my English parish.

Are you sure you’re not confusing it with the age guidelines for volunteer stewards?

I’ve just doublechecked the wording on the posters on the doors, and the only restriction is to stay out if showing symptoms or have the infection in the family.
 
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This is not a church law but rather some guidance on the local level.
I can see it serving purposes of safety for minors and clergy.

AFAIK you do not have any “right” under Church law to be on private church property.
You are welcomed as a guest in accordance with reasonable policies the diocese and pastor put in place.
 
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Apologies - you’re right it’s not on the guidance note.

Ive been looking for where I read it though and some dioceses seem to be taking different approaches, so maybe it is decided at a local level? Hexham seems to say no under 16s unaccompanied for example.

I’ll delete my previous comment so as not to confuse anyone 🙈
 
The thing is we are talking specifically about during this pandemic I think and churches (here in the UK at least) can’t open without stewards being present.
 
I used to go into my parish church unaccompanied as a minor all the time. If there are some restrictions in your parish, it is with your parish.
 
Canon 1214: By the term church is understood a sacred building designated for divine worship to which the faithful have the right of entry for the exercise, especially the public exercise, of divine worship.

That’s a pretty clear starting point.

Dan
 
acanonlawyer said:
Canon 1214: By the term church is understood a sacred building designated for divine worship to which the faithful have the right of entry for the exercise, especially the public exercise, of divine worship.

That’s a pretty clear starting point.
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Can you define this further? Surely the pastor or diocese has reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on this “right”. Otherwise he’d never be allowed to lock a church.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
Surely the pastor or diocese has reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on this “right”. Otherwise he’d never be allowed to lock a church.
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Yes, certainly.

I think the main purpose of the canon is to:

a. distinguish church buildings from oratories and private chapels (which are discussed in following canons), in regard to who is able to use them

b. provide a general rule that all the faithful have an equal right to the use of the church for divine worship, especially public worship (subject to some practical limitations where not everyone can fit into the space, for example)

c. relatedly, make it easier for people to fulfill their obligations in regard to divine worship/reception of the Sacraments (or at least not put stumbling blocks in their way, such as “you don’t belong to this parish so you can’t come to this church”)

Pastors/rectors should do what they can to have the building open as much as possible but this canon doesn’t mean that every church has to be open at all times. When it is open, though, then it should (generally) be truly open to all so that they can freely (see c. 1221) enter.

Dan
 
I know there’s been some issues in the non-COVID past with “private Masses” where some group wanted to have Mass just for its members, and non-members weren’t allowed in the Mass. That’s what I think of when I think “right of entry” - someone being restricted from access to a worship service, or from public confession times or pubilc adoration times. I’ve definitely seen unaccompanied teens attend all those, but there were always lots of other people around.

What I don’t see, at least in the last 10 years, is kids younger than teens coming to church unaccompanied, or teens dropping into church “to pray” outside public worship/ confession/ adoration times. At the very least, some adult would probably be checking on them to see what they were doing there, that’s if the church is even unlocked to begin with.
 
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Here, diocesan Safe Environment regulations prohibit the presence of unsupervised minors. All children must be accompanied by a responsible parent or guardian at all times, even–especially–in the restroom during Mass, etc.

Any unsupervised minor showing up at church without parents would be sent straight home by someone in charge. How they would get home would be an interesting question.
 
What things have come down to. This is sad.

As a teenager (1970s), both before I was received into the Church, and afterwards, I came and went as I pleased to any Catholic church I could get to, whether my home parish, or a parish in another city. I began driving when I was 16, and would visit churches at my pleasure. The same held true for weekend trips or vacations with my family. I didn’t give it a second thought, and neither did anyone else.
 
Well I sure hope they do because I’m a teenager in an atheist family and I’ve been going to Church alone for Mass, Adoration and private prayer for nearly two years 😁 If I had to be accompanied by an adult I would never go to Church. My parents refuse to step inside a church building.
 
Believe me, if things were different, I would know about it. I have been through 15 years of Safe Environment training.

Even our parish bulletin makes it crystal clear that parents are not to allow children (that’s anyone under 18) to be unaccompanied in church at any time.
 
That seems crazy to me. I’m certain there’s no such rules where I live because the priest knows me and he knows that I’m under 18… never said a thing about me not being allowed to come. But then what are teens like me supposed to do when our parents refuse to have anything to do with Catholicism? I’m very lucky that I’m even allowed to go at all so I’m very grateful that I’m able to go to Mass and Adoration. I’d be spiritually stranded otherwise.
 
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