Sacraments - Holy Communion before Reconciliation?

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My wife and I have decided to home-school. Instead of rocking the boat at our parish, we’ve decided to have our 2nd grader attend CCD and I signed up to be his teacher.

I went to the teacher’s meeting today and found out that parents at our parish can choose to have their children receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation either now or in the 5th grade.

The DRE said that our diocese (Milwaukee) wrote something about it and that some parishes interpreted it that children had to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation BEFORE First Holy Communion but that there was a parents choice clause in there.

Anyone know what the Church has to say about this? Does the Church give the Bishop this type of authority (like it apparently does for Confirmation?) Can anyone refer me to any Church documents?

She also said that our previous priest would be sad because some of the children would come to the Sacrament and he would decide they were missing ‘form’ and all he could do was give them a blessing since they didn’t need forgiveness. What’s this ‘form’ thing?

Thanks.
 
The Catechism of the Catholic Church couldn’t be any clearer on this point:

“**1457 **According to the Church’s command, “after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year.” Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession. Children must go to the sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time.”

Hope that helps.
 
your DRE better double check because I doubt very much if your current bishop subscribes to this theory. Please ask her to produce in writing the particular law of the diocese which governs this. Most bishops review that law (which applies general canon law to their own diocese) and correct any problems when they begin their new term. Our previous version, for instance, said children must be offered the opportunity for confession before first communion. the new version says children (or adults) must confess before reception of first communion. The parents do not have the right to determine if or whether canon law applies to their family.
 
From the 2004 Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum:

“[87.] The First Communion of children must always be preceded by sacramental confession and absolution.
[Footnote 169: Cf. Code of Canon Law, can. 914; S. Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, Declaration, Sanctus Pontifex, diei 24 maii 1973: AAS 65 (1973) p. 410; S. Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship and S. Congregation for the Clergy, Letter to the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences. Episcoporum, In quibusdam, 31 March 1977: Enchiridion Documentorum Instaurationis Liturgicae, II, pp. 142-144; S. Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship and S. Congregation for the Clergy, Response to dubium, 20 May 1977: AAS 69 (1977) p. 427. ]”
 
Thanks all! That’s great information. I’m going to call our diocese today.

Anyone have any idea what she’s referring to with ‘form’?

Thanks.
 
I would also add Canon Law to the list
Can. 914 It is primarily the duty of parents and of those who take their place, as it is the duty of the parish priest, to ensure that children who have reached the use of reason are properly prepared and, having made their sacramental confession, are nourished by this divine food as soon as possible. It is also the duty of the parish priest to see that children who have not reached the use of reason, or whom he has judged to be insufficiently disposed, do not come to holy communion.
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Doing a little search on the Archdiocese of Milwaukee website, this is what I found (found in Preparation for First Sacramental Confession prior to the reception of First Holy Communion, Q&A):

Q:
Is it permissible for a parent to choose to have a child delay the reception of 1st Sacramental Confession?
A:
Yes. Parents are the primary educators of their children. Parents may decide to delay 1st Sacramental Confession until a later age, if they feel that their child is not ready. However, in this situation, 1st Holy Communion is **not **delayed until after the reception of 1st Sacramental Confession.​

It has a date of 8/04
 
Servulus said:
The Catechism of the Catholic Church couldn’t be any clearer on this point:
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, the Catechism is rather Latin-centric in a lot of its statements, which undermines the universality of its truth. In the eastern rites, where baptism, confirmation, and first Eucharist are generally given at the same time, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is obviously not required before first communion.
 
Dandelion_Wine said:
What’s this ‘form’ thing?
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Proper form and matter are required for validity of sacraments, under the Thomistic school of thought. This approach is key to our sacramental theology and canon law over the past several centuries.

The Catholic Encyclopedia usually has a good explanation of these sorts of issues, although I notice in this case its rather verbose.
 
Dandelion_Wine said:
Doing a little search on the Archdiocese of Milwaukee website, this is what I found (found in Preparation for First Sacramental Confession prior to the reception of First Holy Communion, Q&A):

Q:
Is it permissible for a parent to choose to have a child delay the reception of 1st Sacramental Confession?
A:
Yes. Parents are the primary educators of their children. Parents may decide to delay 1st Sacramental Confession until a later age, if they feel that their child is not ready. However, in this situation, 1st Holy Communion is **not **delayed until after the reception of 1st Sacramental Confession.​

It has a date of 8/04
Click to expand...
And I suspect is out of date as we had this going on in Superior Diocese(Northwestern WI) until recently. Just this year the order came down. Penance before first communion period…
 
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