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harryguy
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Because rules are rules .and the law
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hwriggles4
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While I am ashamed to admit, I didn’t understand the Real Presence until I was a retread college student in my mid 20s who accidentally stumbled on a good Catholic Student Center at a state college - that brought me back to the faith. (I had planned to become either Episcopalian or Methodist, even though I grew up Catholic and served as an altar boy nearly every Saturday night from the time I was 12 until I was 18. I was also an usher during my early 20s as a “one hour” Catholic who was struggling with “do I want to stay Catholic?”, “why am I Catholic?” - and this was after I spent a few years at a “Catholic” college).
Yes, understanding of the Real Presence is key. For children, 7 years old is considered the age of reason. I also frown upon parishes (yes, this went on when I was a kid - my younger brothers didn’t partake in Reconciliation until afterwards) who let children go through the First Eucharist without receiving Reconciliation first (while this is not as common as it once was, it still happens in some places). It’s not about getting out of the pew and walking up to receive - there is something else there - children and adults need to know this, not just go through the motions (been there, done that, hello).
My father was Methodist, and his church had symbolic communion once a month, usually with grape juice for wine and wafers for bread. I have heard some of the Presbyterians do this too. For them, it’s symbolic - it’s not sacramental. After my reversion story, if I attended a Protestant service (although I did go to Catholic Mass to meet the Sunday obligation), I refrained from participating in the communion service.
This is also why Catholic children are required to go to Mass. In Protestant circles, it is normal for Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists (and I think Lutherans - I have a family member who is Lutheran) for the kids to go to Sunday school while the parent(s) attend the service. Several of my friends growing up did this, since it was conducive to their faith - and my Methodist and Baptist friends could quote much more scripture than me.
As a religious education teacher, we have talked until we are blue in the face that CCD doesn’t count as Mass.
Yes, understanding of the Real Presence is key. For children, 7 years old is considered the age of reason. I also frown upon parishes (yes, this went on when I was a kid - my younger brothers didn’t partake in Reconciliation until afterwards) who let children go through the First Eucharist without receiving Reconciliation first (while this is not as common as it once was, it still happens in some places). It’s not about getting out of the pew and walking up to receive - there is something else there - children and adults need to know this, not just go through the motions (been there, done that, hello).
My father was Methodist, and his church had symbolic communion once a month, usually with grape juice for wine and wafers for bread. I have heard some of the Presbyterians do this too. For them, it’s symbolic - it’s not sacramental. After my reversion story, if I attended a Protestant service (although I did go to Catholic Mass to meet the Sunday obligation), I refrained from participating in the communion service.
This is also why Catholic children are required to go to Mass. In Protestant circles, it is normal for Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists (and I think Lutherans - I have a family member who is Lutheran) for the kids to go to Sunday school while the parent(s) attend the service. Several of my friends growing up did this, since it was conducive to their faith - and my Methodist and Baptist friends could quote much more scripture than me.
As a religious education teacher, we have talked until we are blue in the face that CCD doesn’t count as Mass.
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BartholomewB
Guest
@adrian1, what do you mean by “children”? What ages? Not even the children of Catholic parents are entitled to receive Holy Communion before they are duly catechized, leading to the ceremony of their First Communion.
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TC3033
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It’s normally elementary aged kids…anywhere from K-3 to K-5. From my experience we didn’t necessarliy consider it Sunday School either. Sunday school was normally before church and, in some cases, the elementary kids would be excused to “kids’ church” during the sermon. It’s not something I’ve seen a lot of, but some places do do it.
My wife’s Catholic church, and another one she visited a month or so ago, kind of does the same thing (K-2nd).
My wife’s Catholic church, and another one she visited a month or so ago, kind of does the same thing (K-2nd).
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Wesrock
Guest
There’s nothing wrong with infants receiving communion so long as its compliant with current canon laws (and I’m not aware of any conflict anyway, it’s up to the Bishop/priests about the norms within his diocese).
The issue is that we baptize children based upon the faith of their parents and the reasonable expectation that they’ll be raised in the faith. We should have similar expectations for reception of the Eucharist for infants and young children too young to know what they are receiving. The children of Protestants are not fully in communion with the Church, based their parent’s faith and expectations. This doesn’t mean they are in mortal sin, but communion with the Church is the basis of shared communion of the blessed sacrament.
The issue is that we baptize children based upon the faith of their parents and the reasonable expectation that they’ll be raised in the faith. We should have similar expectations for reception of the Eucharist for infants and young children too young to know what they are receiving. The children of Protestants are not fully in communion with the Church, based their parent’s faith and expectations. This doesn’t mean they are in mortal sin, but communion with the Church is the basis of shared communion of the blessed sacrament.
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Wesrock
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It’s my understanding that both methodists and presbyterians understand it as a sacrament, even if their sacramental theology is different (they belive in only two sacraments: baptism and communion). Both acknowledge the Real Presence, but not really transubstantiation, or in substance, but more in a spiritual or unspoken/mysterious way, but it’s not just a symbol the way some evangelical fundamentalists use it.
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Augustinian
Guest
Their parent would probably object, and for good reason. People have a problem with their children receiving religious rites from a faith which isn’t their own.Why protestants children can’t receive holy Communion in Catholic Church? They are baptise in name of Trinity why we should we miss the children by this Great Gift only because their parents are heretics with full or are invincible ignorants?
Some Catholic parents might even object if the local mohel would give their boy a bris without their permission. Who would have figured?
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