Should 1st Communion be for the Children of Seldom Practicing Catholics???

[WhiteDove]

Also, Nettle’(name removed by moderator), regarding Latin America. I’m mostly familiar with Mexican culture, having lived on the west coast most of my life.

Mexican people generally receive the basic Sacraments, but have low church attendence. The Church is a big part of their culture, just as in Poland, with specific customs they have developed. I’m sure most Mexican children are allowed baptism and 1st Communion.

Unfortunately, Latin America is rapidly being evangelized by the more friendly churches, such as Evangelicals and Mormons. This is a big problem. They are responding to the better outreaches and fellowship these churches provide. Mexican-Americans are also being lured away from the Chruch in huge numbers.

I have a priest friend who is a hospital chaplain. A fellow who worked weekends at the hospital could not get first Communion for his kids. He and his wife were a stuggling Mexican immigrant family, both working as cooks and housekeeping in healthcare, low paying jobs that require weekends. They weren’t able to regularly get their kids to the required Sunday CCD program and were denied 1st Communion. So, my priest friend got some materials together and was helping him, otherwise he was out of luck. God Bless him. I met the man, he was a humble man, very sweet.

 

[MariaG]

posted by netmil(name removed by moderator)

Those who think that children cannot commit mortal sin, were not correct in letting them receive Eucharist in 2nd grade and Reconcilliation in 4th. The Vatican corrected you then. It may well straighten you out again. It may straighten me out. Time will tell.

Since when have I said anything about letting a child have 1st communion before Reconcilliation?

You seem to think just because I think it is highly unlikely a child can commit mortal sin, it somehow lets them out of Reconciliation. That is incorrect. You are lumping and making assumptions that are wrong.

You are confusing issues here.

My parish has never allowed a child to recieve communion without Reconcilliation first. Whether or not a child can commit mortal sin or not does not mean they should not receive reconcilliation first.

You specifically stated that you were worried about children being unable to go to Reconcilliation and going to Hell with mortal sin on their soul.

First, the apologist showed why it is highly unlikely that a child can have the knowledge in order to commit mortal sin.

Mortal sin, it must be remembered, requires grave matter, full knowledge, and full and free consent of the will. If any of those conditions are missing, there is not a mortal sin. While a young child may be capable of committing an objectively grave action, his youth and lack of knowledge may mitigate against the grave action being a mortal sin. If the requisite full knowledge and full and free consent of the will are missing, the sin – if there is sin because of sufficient knowledge and consent – would be venial.

However, went on to say that if a child did commit a mortal sin, was sorry for it, but was unable to get to confession because their parents won’t take them, the sin is still forgiven. Forgiveness of mortal sin can be given before actually going to confession as long as one* intends** to go as soon as possible*. This is true for adults as well as children.

Your stated reasons for putting off Reconciliation and communion, in order to keep children “innocent” and therefore out of hell are mistaken. A child can sin, even mortal sin, not go to confession due to lack of parental involvement, yet still go to heaven if they are repentant. A child need not die with mortal sin on their soul even if unable to go to Reconciliation.

Putting off baptism to a child is like this.

The baptized are in a large pool. Some who are in the pool are just barely hanging on to the side because they have never learned how to swim. They come to us and say, “Can I bring my kid into the pool”. We can then say, “Friend, before you bring in the child, you need to try to learn how to swim yourself.” This is a reasonable response.

But “putting off” the sacraments of the already baptized is like this:

A child is already in the pool, already baptized, with the parents unable to swim. You are then telling the child, no, I won’t teach you to swim, even though you are already in the pool, until your parents learn first. You will learn to swim or drown depending on what your parents do.

Once a person is in the pool (baptized), they have the right to learn how to swim(the Sacraments), whether their parents know how to swim or not.

As for your church growing, I am thrilled. Church growth is wonderful. But so is mine. We have a growing youth group and CCD program. Our Spanish outreach is working. Next year, we may have a child who has been coming to CCD, who will be baptized and confirmed. The parents are not even Catholic. Our children are becoming on fire for the Lord and spreading it to their non-Christian friends, much less Catholic friends.

God Bless,
Maria