Is it illicit to give unconsecrated hosts to children who have not received First Communion yet?

[Antwill]

Probably not a big deal, but my kids went up to visit the priest after Mass and when they came back, they said that “Father gave us the body of Christ!” At first my wife and I thought they must be mistaken, but it happened again another time. I finally witnessed him do this (an unconsecrated host) and I asked him not to give it to them again because we wanted their actual First Communion to be something they really look forward to.

Is there anything illicit in a priest doing this?

God Bless.

 

[LilyM]

No, it’s absolutely fine to do so. Unconsecrated hosts are no different to any other bread, it’s only after the consecration that they need to be treated carefully.

Most children as part of their instruction prior to First Communion will be permitted to practice with unconsecrated hosts (and sometimes unconsecrated wine as well!) at least once.

I appreciate your idea that it should be special, but the wisest thing really is to give the child some practice so that he or she doesn’t drop or let fall the host or make funny faces or inappropriate comments about the Precious Blood or anything of the kind.

 

[maria_rose]

In CCd classes especially for the handicapped, the kids are allowed to practise receiving the host with unconcecrated hosts. My sons did this before my oldest had his first holy communion.

 

[kage_ar]

Practice with unconcecrated hosts and wine is common for children preping for FHC.

 

[teachccd]

Probably the last thing you’d want is for a child to react to the taste or texture of the host on their First Communion day. We also practice with unconsecrated hosts beforehand and emphasize the respect required for receiving our Lord. God Bless

 

[Seatuck]

I’m with the original poster. Father is handing these out like a treat or something. Not a practice for communion. He probably means well but I don’t like it.

 

[threej_lc]

1. There’s nothing wrong with giving bread to kids.
2. If the priest is aware the kids are calling it “the body of Christ”, he needs to inform them that it is only bread. If he does not know, the OP should inform him. Although feeding them is fine, idolatry of bread should be avoided.

Josh

 

[LilyM]

I’m with the original poster. Father is handing these out like a treat or something. Not a practice for communion. He probably means well but I don’t like it.

I got them frequently as a child too, before and after I’d received my First Communion. Unconsecrated hosts are a treat - not really different to the priest handing out lollies or cookies. I can’t imagine all this handwringing happening if he gave the child a glass of cordial and the child mistook it for ‘Blood of Christ’.

I was aware of the difference - because my parents were careful to instruct me. It’s a parents job to be the first instructors of their children in the faith, why leave everything to the priest?

I’m sure when I was a child I probably thought the priest was Jesus or some such as well. I know plenty of children do. If they voice such thoughts the parents correct them if the priest doesn’t, and that’s it.

Children get mistaken ideas about things all the time, the point is not to let the wrong idea persist, whether it’s the priest or the parent who corrects them.

 

[teachccd]

I’m with the original poster. Father is handing these out like a treat or something. Not a practice for communion. He probably means well but I don’t like it.

To the original poster: This could give the children a wrong impression. Talk to the priest. Ask him what his intentions are when he gives them these unconsecrated hosts. I find when you go to the source rather than speculate you may be relieved. If not, then kindly express your concern. I love this forum but this situation will not be settled for you here… God Bless

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

To the original poster: This could give the children a wrong impression. Talk to the priest. Ask him what his intentions are when he gives them these unconsecrated hosts. I find when you go to the source rather than speculate you may be relieved. If not, then kindly express your concern. I love this forum but this situation will not be settled for you here… God Bless

Precisely. And you might buy Father a big supply of “pocket candy” sugarless treats, to hand out when he comes in contact with his younger parishoners.

 

[mdstanzel]

Adverse reaction to the priest giving bread to children is really scrupulous when you do the research. The Orthodox give out unconcecrated bread to everyone according to what I’ve read. Not that I’m an expert on Orthodox Christianity, but it seems to be a do a couple of things. Something to look forward to and somethign to share in common with others.

I knew a seminarian that said in his high school seminary he was caught play saying mass. The priest told him that it was okay as long as he knew it wasn’t real and that it was to practice in his future vocation as a priest.

I think Catholics get very legalistic with things that make us feel uncomfortable - mainly because we don’t clearly know the teachings of the Church and when it comes to irregularities we just go extreme on others while failing to see the sadness of our response. However, as a parent myself, I would not encourage the priest to do the same. I’d just simply thank him for being kind to my children, but ask him to respect parental judgement. Our vocations are leaders of the domestic church. A priest does not possess the right to overide your Christian judgement as a parent. You know what’s best for your children- assuming you’re well catechized in the Catholic faith. However, most cradle Catholics are absolutely clueless about the teachings of the Church. Make sure you know the teachings of the Chruch for yourself. My grandmother taught me something a long time ago that never made sense to me until after I had left Catholicism for 17 years for a Early Church Restoration movement, my wife’s faith. Grandma said, “Don’t live on the shirt tails of priensts.”

 

[CatholicCid]

Probably the last thing you’d want is for a child to react to the taste or texture of the host on their First Communion day. We also practice with unconsecrated hosts beforehand and emphasize the respect required for receiving our Lord. God Bless

The solution I remember was to use a horrible tasting bread with a very thick and rigid texture for practice

 

[Jewellz]

I don’t know if it would be considered illicit, but it does make me wary. From what I’ve seen with both classmates and children I work with at a Catholic school, there’s enough confusion about what the Eucharist actually is. While I understand the idea of practicing, if it is to be done, it should be done with the explicit explanation that it is only practice and that they are not receiving the Precious Body and Blood of Christ. Before practicing, however, careful instruction needs to be given on the Sacrament of the Eucharist so that the child understands the importance. My concern with just giving out unconsecrated hosts without explanation is that there will be no distinction made between the bread and the Body of Christ and the child will not understand the significance of what they are doing.

God Bless!

 

[m134e5]

Probably not a big deal, but my kids went up to visit the priest after Mass and when they came back, they said that “Father gave us the body of Christ!” At first my wife and I thought they must be mistaken, but it happened again another time. I finally witnessed him do this (an unconsecrated host) and I asked him not to give it to them again because we wanted their actual First Communion to be something they really look forward to.

Is there anything illicit in a priest doing this?

God Bless.

It is fine…it would be a very bad idea to leave the hosts laying around. Hopefully the priest makes sure the kids don’t take them out of their mouths or anything. It would be a very scandalous thing to find one in a trashcan.

 

[teachccd]

I don’t know if it would be considered illicit, but it does make me wary. From what I’ve seen with both classmates and children I work with at a Catholic school, there’s enough confusion about what the Eucharist actually is. While I understand the idea of practicing, if it is to be done, it should be done with the explicit explanation that it is only practice and that they are not receiving the Precious Body and Blood of Christ. Before practicing, however, careful instruction needs to be given on the Sacrament of the Eucharist so that the child understands the importance. My concern with just giving out unconsecrated hosts without explanation is that there will be no distinction made between the bread and the Body of Christ and the child will not understand the significance of what they are doing.

God Bless!

Right on!

 

[BobP123]

Probably the last thing you’d want is for a child to react to the taste or texture of the host on their First Communion day. We also practice with unconsecrated hosts beforehand and emphasize the respect required for receiving our Lord. God Bless

Methinks this discussion is losing a little perspective here. You should know it’s a tradition amongst Poles to distribute oplateks among themselves (wishing each other well, etc.) on Christmas Eve. The oplatek is essentially the same unleavened bread that the hosts are made out of. Same taste and texture. There generally is no mention of Communion during the traditional greetings.

More care should be given the hosts AFTER they are consecrated. There’s where abuses and disrespect towards Our Lord occur.

 

[jmcrae]

Probably not a big deal, but my kids went up to visit the priest after Mass and when they came back, they said that “Father gave us the body of Christ!” At first my wife and I thought they must be mistaken, but it happened again another time. I finally witnessed him do this (an unconsecrated host) and I asked him not to give it to them again because we wanted their actual First Communion to be something they really look forward to.

I’m with you and your wife on this one.

I think that it’s fine to give kids unconsecrated hosts when it’s obvious that they are practicing to receive Holy Communion (like, in the classroom where they are learning about this), but in a situation where there is some danger of them confusing it with the real thing, or if it’s not in the context of practicing to receive First Holy Communion, then it seems inappropriate to do it, to me.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

I would agree with Jewellz. I, too, work in a Catholic school, and there is enough confusion as it is.

Further, the Polish oplatek is usually squarish, much bigger than the individual hosts, has a picture of the Nativity on it, and comes in an envelope usually marked, “Oplatek, Product of Poland”.