The Vatican allowed the experiment in the late 70’s and within a few years in the early 80’s put an end to it requiring all diocese to stop and return to the traditional order. It’s not something new that is just now being proposed.
That is correct. What you mention above is exactly as I remember it happening when my children were young.
You’re wrong.
The Holy See had formally stopped the practice by 1973.
Since the Eastern Churches give infants the Eucharist at the time of Baptism and Chrismation, they DO administer Holy Communion before Confession.
It is a little document, I have a copy I just cannot find it. Anyway maybe then I should have said late 60’s stopped by the early 70’s I stand corrected.
I think you have put your finger on the reason teaching on Penance and actual practice has been watered down in recent years – as well as sacramental preparation in general and teaching on the Eucharist. Those doing the teaching do not themselves know Catholic teaching, and if they do have rejected it. An adult Catholic who is not going to confession regularly either is lazy or fooling themselves, or does not understand the purpose and power of this sacrament.
Can you justify an “age of reason”. The practice of separating the three initiatory sacraments is a late invention of the Latin Church. Sort of Protestant, if one asks. When one sins they go to confession. Specifically, we teach children the meaning of confession at second grade. Do we really know if they actually understand fully what this means? I don’t know.
The original poster was suggesting that this practice was also permitted in the Latin Rite and that is wrong. Terribly wrong.
I believe you are mistaken. The three initiatory sacraments were commonly offered to infants by the entire Church. I’ll get the references when I’ve time. The changes, if memory served, came about since the Enlightenment as a way to improve the intellectual understanding of the faith by stretching education out. The West in particular felt a need to better go toe to toe with the likes of DeCartes et al.
Good arguments can be made for the practice of the West, just as other good arguments can be made for the Eastern use. Since you say that the East introduces kids to confession at roughly the same age as we do in the West, it would seem that some of the same thinking has gone into figuring out when they are able responsibly to discern right from wrong. The ability to understand right from wrong is what is meant by the term “age of reason” – not the Age of Enlightenment. I apologize for any confusion I may have introduced.
I think YOU hit the nail on the head here!!! I know my friend also has issues with the Church’s teaching on artificial contraception, and other Church laws such as mandatory Mass attendance on Sundays/Holy Days of Obligation. I think she teaches because her kids attend, and she feels obligated to do so. To be fair, she really is poorly catechized, and simply has not gotten the urge to learn more—maybe that’s why I keep getting the urge to talk to her about these issues???
No, it is you that is confused. In the Latin Rite of the Church, there is a “schedule” of sorts for baptism, first confession, first communion and confirmation. This differs from the Eastern Catholic chuches, like it or not, but that’s the way it is – that’s what the Church directs for the latin Rite.
That is why it says “ABOUT the age of seven”. Someone who knows the childs mental development must determine their readiness for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. Like parents and teachers (catechists)
I’m wondering if this particular idea that parents and teachers should “determine readiness” of children to receive Sacraments contributes to children delaying their First Confession. For some reason, many people I talk to find the idea of Confession much more “confusing” and “scary” for children than First Communion, and they don’t think that 7 y.o. can possibly sin or know what sin is. Perhaps this “loophole” is what is causing all of the confusion on the proper order of Sacraments in the Latin Rite?
That is correct a 7y.o. may not be ready for Confession and may not be capable of personal sin because the individual child cannot reason right from wrong. It then holds that the child is also not ready for Holy Communion either. So when the age of reason is reached is reached for the child both Sacraments are available to them. It is the Church that has determined the order of reception.
Br. Rich
Remembering that the only Sacrament necessary for Salvation is Baptism. A mentally challenged child would after Baptism be in a state of perfect Grace. If they could never attain the use of reason they could receive Holy Communion, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, because they are in a state of perfect Grace. This of course is the extreme case where a child never is able to attain the use of reason. For others who can it may be sixteen or seventeen before they are at the “age of reason”.