Should an Eastern Catholic infant receive Communion in a Roman Catholic church?

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Receiving the Eucharist is different. It is regulated by canon law. It isn’t a matter of custom. A person either may or may not receive.

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Along these same lines, a very young Latin Rite child who has received Communion because of danger of death at 4 years old, would not be barred from continuing to receive upon recovery.

I have known a few Latin Rite children who have received at 5 years of age due to exceptional maturity. Canon law states that they need to have attained the age of reason. It estimates this to be around 7, but this is not a hard and fast rule. Does this create scandal?
 
We’re reverting from Orthodoxy to Catholicism (Latin Rite since I was born and raised Latin Rite). It looks like my husband and daughter will be considered Eastern Rite canonically. It doesn’t appear to be an issue for her to receive communion in the latin rite church but I’m concerned about how that will work. She’s 3 and I don’t know if she handle a host.

When those of you who are Eastern Rite travel to latin Rite churches, how do your children receive communion? (not meaning to get into a discussion about priests who are ignorant of your child’s right to receive. I mean do they receive the host or the wine? maybe the priest breaks up the host a little bit?)
*You confuse me! Here a child must prepare for Holy Communion when she/he is 7 and knows exactly what to do. When you say Eastern Rite I assume you refer to the likes of the Maronite Church. Here we go to each other’s Churches - the only difference is the liturgy which I find very beautiful - otherwise it is the same. As for Communion they dip the host in the blood before placing on the tongue - Maronites receive on the tongue.

However I once saw a woman from the Greek Orthodox go to Holy Communion and broke the Host into little pieces and give them to her infant children!!! It was strange to me!

:)*
 
*You confuse me! Here a child must prepare for Holy Communion when she/he is 7 and knows exactly what to do. When you say Eastern Rite I assume you refer to the likes of the Maronite Church. Here we go to each other’s Churches - the only difference is the liturgy which I find very beautiful - otherwise it is the same. As for Communion they dip the host in the blood before placing on the tongue - Maronites receive on the tongue.

However I once saw a woman from the Greek Orthodox go to Holy Communion and broke the Host into little pieces and give them to her infant children!!! It was strange to me!

:)*
Exactly, should a child be 3-yo and receive in Communion with the host dipped as usual on the tongue, I can’t see how this would be an issue in the Latin Rite as you are in essense going through the same procedure.
 
A guest is to be treated well as a guest, but that doesn’t mean they can nor should impose.
IMHO, this is where this particular argument breaks down. We are speaking of fellow Catholics. They are not guests - they are “family”. As CDB1718 correctly points out, we are in communion with each other. That also implies that we should be aware of each other’s customs and norms.
 
I guess that’s part of the issue - that you don’t see a difference in importance between the reception of the Eucharist, on the one hand, and kneeling, on the other.

Blessings,
Marduk
Kneeling is part of receiving the Eucharist. So it the entire Liturgy.
 
IMHO, this is where this particular argument breaks down. We are speaking of fellow Catholics. They are not guests - they are “family”. As CDB1718 correctly points out, we are in communion with each other. That also implies that we should be aware of each other’s customs and norms.
Even family are guests. Even your own parents can be guests, especially if they’re the type who likes to say “as long as you are living under my roof…”. When you have your own home, neither of you are under their roof, therefore things happen differently.
 
Would you refrain from receiving Communion for one or two Sundays because parishioners at the RC parish did not understand Eastern Catholicism and did not believe that you were really Catholic?
If I took a vacation in a town with only one Catholic parish and it is RC, and the priest found out I was Eastern Catholic and said I may not receive, then I won’t argue. I’d be pissed off, but I have nowhere else to go. I know I have to go, there is a legitimate Catholic parish there. Or I might go to an Orthodox one instead if one is available. If I’m not receiving anyway.
 
Even family are guests. Even your own parents can be guests, especially if they’re the type who likes to say “as long as you are living under my roof…”. When you have your own home, neither of you are under their roof, therefore things happen differently.
If they are non-Catholics, yes. The best use of the “guest” analogy these days would be applicable to the Orthodox and select other groups who, despite not being in full communion with Rome, are nonetheless invited (although perhaps not permitted from their end) to receive the Holy Eucharist in the Catholic Church.

By your own definition, you are a guest in your own parish. Your children should not have been received into the church via the full rite of christian initiation, and you would not have been afforded an opportunity to serve at the same altar as a UGCC priest, let alone the Patriarch. I do hope and pray that you feel as if you and your family are more than mere “guests”.
 
Dear apb92,

Thanks for your comments. Again, my statement that I do not want him teaching my kids Latin Catholicism is not based on the fact that he is Ukrainian Catholic (though I’m not sure if he is formally a Ukrainian Catholic). I’m basing it on his poor presentation of Latin Catholicism over the course of many months. This thread evinces just one example. To the OP’s question of how an Eastern Catholic infant can receive in a Latin Catholic church, his response was “they don’t receive.” But that is an incorrect response to an inquirer, because that is not what the Canons of the Latin Church state.

Blessings,
Marduk
I think on the contrary, the OP asked how do *your *children receive…looking for personal examples and TG responded that *his *children did not receive. He is not teaching doctrine, but giving a personal example.
 
If I took a vacation in a town with only one Catholic parish and it is RC, and the priest found out I was Eastern Catholic and said I may not receive, then I won’t argue. I’d be pissed off, but I have nowhere else to go. I know I have to go, there is a legitimate Catholic parish there. Or I might go to an Orthodox one instead if one is available. If I’m not receiving anyway.
I don’t believe sister Babochka’s point was whether the priest would let you receive or not, but whether it is right to let the principle of “unity in action” of the community during the Liturgy override the NECESSITY of receiving the most Holy Body and Blood.

None of us here in the ECF seems to agree with you that it should.

As far as the decision of the priest, if he thinks it will cause scandal in his community to let an infant receive, I believe that it is his conscientious obligation to refuse to do so. However, I don’t believe it is his right, because he would be violating the Canons of the Church.

Blessings,
Marduk
 
I think on the contrary, the OP asked how do *your *children receive…looking for personal examples and TG responded that *his *children did not receive. He is not teaching doctrine, but giving a personal example.
When you start to talk about praxis in the Latin Church you go beyond personal preferences. There is a major difference between praxis for Latin Catholics and praxis in the Latin Church the latter implies the first but it is not limited to it (e.g. how to behave with non-Catholics or non-Latins).
 
Dear Mrs. Sally,
I think on the contrary, the OP asked how do *your *children receive…looking for personal examples and TG responded that *his *children did not receive. He is not teaching doctrine, but giving a personal example.
Actually, the question was how do the childern of EASTERN Catholics receive…AFAIK, brother Constantine is canonically Latin (with a great love for the Byzantine Tradition), and so his children, even if baptized/chrismated/communed in an Eastern Catholic Church. On that level, his response did not answer the question.

On another level, he proposed the principle “when in Rome, do as the Romans” in answer to the OP, which is an incorrect response as far as reception of the Eucharist is concerned. As pointed out previously, the laws of the Latin Church do not apply to non-Latin Catholics, even if they are receiving in a Latin parish.

Blessings,
Marduk
 
I don’t believe sister Babochka’s point was whether the priest would let you receive or not, but whether it is right to let the principle of “unity in action” of the community during the Liturgy override the NECESSITY of receiving the most Holy Body and Blood.

None of us here in the ECF seems to agree with you that it should.

As far as the decision of the priest, if he thinks it will cause scandal in his community to let an infant receive, I believe that it is his conscientious obligation to refuse to do so. However, I don’t believe it is his right, because he would be violating the Canons of the Church.

Blessings,
Marduk
The Canons of the Church are for interpretation and application of the bishop. As laypeople it is not up to us to open the canons and waive it to our clergy and make them submit to our interpretation of it.
 
As far as the decision of the priest, if he thinks it will cause scandal in his community to let an infant receive, I believe that it is his conscientious obligation to refuse to do so. However, I don’t believe it is his right, because he would be violating the Canons of the Church.
That’s a fair way of looking at it. That said, the moment where scandal was avoided in this example should become a teaching moment for the faithful, even if priestly conscience is exercised respectfully in this manner and matter.
 
The Canons of the Church are for interpretation and application of the bishop. As laypeople it is not up to us to open the canons and waive it to our clergy and make them submit to our interpretation of it.
Actually, on the matter at issue, the priest has sufficient authority to decide who can or who cannot receive in his parish.

And actually, the laity have every right to open the canons and waive it to our clergy. We have to submit to THEIR intepreration, but we have every right to point out our concerns.

Blessings,
Marduk
 
Actually, on the matter at issue, the priest has sufficient authority to decide who can or who cannot receive in his parish.

And actually, the laity have every right to open the canons and waive it to our clergy. We have to submit to THEIR intepreration, but we have every right to point out our concerns.

Blessings,
Marduk
I would call that a “fraternal correction”, assuming that is done with the utmost level of charity.
 
As laypeople it is not up to us to open the canons and waive it to our clergy and make them submit to our interpretation of it.
No one here has suggested such behavior. I’m unclear how you come up with such a characterization from the responses given in this thread.
 
No one here has suggested such behavior. I’m unclear how you come up with such a characterization from the responses given in this thread.
The mere fact that people point to the canons and claim a “right”. This concept of “rights” is actually unique to the American psyche and their understanding of a democracy. The Church is not a democracy, thus our secular understanding of laws and rights do not apply to the Church.
 
The mere fact that people point to the canons and claim a “right”. This concept of “rights” is actually unique to the American psyche and their understanding of a democracy. The Church is not a democracy, thus our secular understanding of laws and rights do not apply to the Church.
So you are saying that the Church is wrong when she says that the Latin faithfuls have a right to receive while kneeling? Do people have no rights in regard to the sacraments?
 
Actually, on the matter at issue, the priest has sufficient authority to decide who can or who cannot receive in his parish.

And actually, the laity have every right to open the canons and waive it to our clergy. We have to submit to THEIR intepreration, but we have every right to point out our concerns.

Blessings,
Marduk
I see we were posting at the same time. 🙂 I would have to disagree here with the characterization of waving canons at anyone. Of course you are saying one has the “right”, not saying one ought to do so, those are separate and prudence should define what happens.

All previous responses had a different sentiment which is what I have always heard used, of speaking respectfully to the priest of the Latin Church prior to presenting for Eucharist, and that this has typically brought the desired result of the baby or young child being communed.
 
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