T
tafan
Guest
In another thread about the restored order of the sacraments, a poster seemed to imply that for the grace of a sacrament to be effective, one must cooperate. And since young children cannot fully understand the sacrament, this presents a problem.
I agree that cooperation is always needed to receive God’s grace, but what exactly does that mean for a child who is receiving baptism as an infant, or receiving confirmation at the age of reason? I have been told that a child needs to understand a sacrament to the extent he is able. For example, a mentally disabled child can be prepared for the sacraments to a lesser degree than other children.
Does this level of preparation suffice? Can a child of 7 or 8 years old benefit from confirmation (and other sacraments) the same extent as an adult?
I certainly believe the answer is yes, I would have never imagined otherwise. But this argument has come up multiple times in discussions on this forum with respect to the restored order of the sacraments of initiation.
I agree that cooperation is always needed to receive God’s grace, but what exactly does that mean for a child who is receiving baptism as an infant, or receiving confirmation at the age of reason? I have been told that a child needs to understand a sacrament to the extent he is able. For example, a mentally disabled child can be prepared for the sacraments to a lesser degree than other children.
Does this level of preparation suffice? Can a child of 7 or 8 years old benefit from confirmation (and other sacraments) the same extent as an adult?
I certainly believe the answer is yes, I would have never imagined otherwise. But this argument has come up multiple times in discussions on this forum with respect to the restored order of the sacraments of initiation.