As a matter of spiritual discipline, the Latin rite of the Catholic Church reserves First Communion for when the child is old enough to understand that Communion is the body and blood of Christ. Properly constituted Church authority could allow Communion to be given to younger Latin-rite children, but currently does not. Because the requirements for receiving Communion are largely a matter of discipline and not doctrine, there is room for a difference of practice among the various rites of the Church according to their own historical practices.
