would this be a sin?

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TravisandJill

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I was wondering at what age one is required to take their children to mass? Last night my daughter stayed the night at her grandma’s house and we were planning on getting her today to take her to mass with us but my mother told us she took my DD to her protestant church with them this morning and they were planning on taking her tonight to a living nativity at another protestant church. We didn’t want to dissapoint DD or my mother so we consented and let her miss mass today. Is this something we have to confess? My dd is 7 if that matters?

Thanks
 
Seven is the age of reason and a child of that age should not miss Mass without good reason. At seven, there is a longer list of good reasons that for adults. 😉 If her grandmother wouldn’t let her go to Mass while in her care, that would be a good reason. And since she can’t drive herself to Mass, the sin isn’t hers.

IMHO, kids at seven are in a delicate phase. They are often preparing for First Confession/First Communion. Forming thier consciences is tricky and parents have to walk a line between not being too lax or too scrupulous.
 
At 7 your daughter should be attending Mass.

So, you as parents will now need to plan ahead and ensure that if she does stay at grandma’s (or elsewhere) either grandma takes her to Mass or you arrange the schedule so that you can.
 
There is only one God and one Christ. Going to a Protestant church is a good learning experience for Catholic children, just as Protestant children should attend Catholic mass if they are staying at a Catholic home over a Sunday. I was raised Protestant but often attended Catholic mass with friends, especially as a teenager with my Catholic girlfriend.
On a number of occasions, growing up, I recall attending midnight mass on Christmas at our small town’s Catholic church - standing room only back then. Many Protestants did the same, as we were less inclined to have a late Christmas Eve service. We had to go to bed early because Santa wouldn’t come until we were asleep!
Code: 
 This made me realize that Christianity had different expressions, that there are Catholic Christians and Protestant Christians, and that both were good people who had different ways of celebrating their common faith. Attending each other's churches helps end religious bigotry. I recall, sadly, that we could attend Catholic mass but our Catholic friends were warned by their priests never to enter our churches. That was before Vatican II, of course. 

  There is no one true church, just people who are truly loyal to Christ and seek to follow his commandments and example. How much better the world would be if religion paid less attention to divisive doctrines and liturgies and paid more attention to love. "Now these three abide, faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love." 

   God bless Catholics, Protestants and all of his children of every creed, color and country. May religion become a bridge rather than a barrier.
 
This will probably help you, it is from the book “A brief Catechism for adults”

Lesson 33: Duties of Parents Toward Their Children
Code: 
"But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea.""  (Matthew 18:6)
** 1. To give their children the necessary food, clothing and shelter.**
Code: 
     This obligation rests on both parents, whether living together or separated.  They must also keep their children from all danger to life and protect them from possible death.
**
2. To give them good example.**
Code: 
     Parents give good example by observing strictly all of their religious duties.  For example:  Regularly attending Mass, not eating meat on days of abstinence, carefully avoiding indecent speech, lying, cursing, criticism of others, immodesty and drunkenness.

      Parents should remember that children are great imitators, and they should be very careful of everything they do and say in the presence of their children.
** 3. To provide a truly Catholic home for them.**
Code: 
     A Catholic home is one in which God and Religion are of the greatest importance.

      In the home there should be crucifixes, pictures of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints.  Indecent pictures and calendars, sexy and sensational magazines, books, comic books, TV shows and videos have no place in the Christian home.  There should be good books, Catholic newspapers and Catholic magazines.
**
4. To have them baptized as soon as possible after birth.**
Code: 
     It is a serious sin to delay the Baptism of infants, and if there is any danger to the life of the newly born baby, the priest should be called immediately.

      In danger of death, and if no priest is available, Baptism can and should be given by anyone (preferably someone other than the parents).  The one baptizing need not be Catholic; he may be of any religion or of no religion.  But he must have the intention of doing what the Church does in Baptism.  The procedure is:  Pour water over the head of the child, saying at the same time:  "I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost."
**
5. To see that they go to Confession, receive Holy Communion and receive Confirmation.**
Code: 
     The children should be taught to go to Confession and Holy Communion regularly and frequently - every week, if possible, especially during vacation time.
** 6. To teach them to pray.**
Code: 
     Daily prayers should be said together by the whole family.

      As the saying goes, "The family that prays together stays together."  The daily family Rosary will go a very long way toward ensuring that the children grow up to be good Catholics.
** 7. To see that they go to Mass every Sunday and on the six Holy Days.
Code: 
     Parents should not keep children home from Mass except for very serious reasons.**
** 8. To see that on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent they abstain from meat altogether and that on the other Fridays of the year they refrain from meat or perform a comparable penance.**
Code: 
     See Lesson 43, especially Question 11.
** 9. To send them to a Catholic school.**
Code: 
     This includes high school and college, as well as grammar school.  Parents are forbidden by Church Law to send their children to any other kind of school.

      In very many cases today, the only truly Catholic school available is home schooling.  Experience has shown that Catholic home schooling produces excellent results both spiritually and academically and that it brings great blessings to the family.
(continued in next post)
 
** 10. To insist that they marry in the Catholic Church.**
Code: 
     A Catholic cannot marry except in the presence of a Catholic priest and two witnesses.

      When a son or daughter begins to think seriously of marrying, the parents should have him (or her) see the priest and receive the necessary instructions on marriage.  They should encourage dating only with Catholics, or at least with non-Catholics who are willing to take a full course of instructions in the Catholic Religion.  Parents commit a mortal sin by forcing or unduly persuading any of their children to marry.
** 11. To give them the Christian attitude on marriage and having children.
**
Parents should avoid complaining about the hardships of married life and joking about the sacred duties of marriage.
Code: 
      The birth of another child should be a joyful occasion for the whole family so that the other children will consider having children as the greatest blessing of married life.
** 12. To prepare them for marriage.**
Code: 
     The children should be taught the serious duties and responsibilities of marriage, both by word and example.

      They should also be taught the practical side of making a home, such as cleaning, cooking, sewing, repairing, caring for children, being on time, and being neat and orderly.
** 13. To teach them the facts on sex.**
Code: 
     This information should be given carefully and with great emphasis on the beauty and sacredness of sex.

      Answers to questions about the facts of life should be correct, but always suited to the age and mental development of the child.  Parents should encourage the confidence of their children so that the children will come to them for information.
**
14. To protect them from sin, particularly sins of impurity.**
Code: 
     In addition to protecting their children from bad companions, etc., parents have a grave obligation to do whatever is necessary to protect their children from classroom "Sex Education" either in public or Catholic schools.

      Formal "Sex Education" is always grossly immodest and a temptation to sin, even aside from the un-Catholic and un-Christian "slant" with which it is usually delivered.
** 15. To correct their sins and faults.**
Code: 
     It is a serious sin to neglect this duty.
** 16. To teach them the virtues of honesty, obedience, truthfulness, purity, and modesty in dress.**
Code: 
     These lessons must be given early and repeated continually.
**
17. To teach them respect for the rights and property of others.**
Code: 
     Many parents sin seriously by bad example in this matter.
** 18. To teach them respect for all lawful authority.**
Code: 
     Children should be taught early to respect all lawful authority, especially the authority of the Church, the State and the School.
** 19. To give them wholesome recreation and keep them from evil companions.**
Code: 
     The Christian home should be the center of the child's social life, a place where he feels free to bring his companions.

      Parents should be extremely careful about allowing their children to attend motion pictures; they should also examine their comic books and govern their use of the radio and television, as well as the VCR.  Children receive many un-Christian ideas on life, marriage, crime, drinking, body piercing, etc. from these sources of entertainment.
**
20. To encourage a child’s desire to be a priest, a brother or sister.**
Code: 
     Having a priest, brother or sister in the family is one of the greatest blessings that God can give a mother and father.  Instead of turning a child away from such a desire, parents should encourage the child.
that is just a basic catechism book, so if you have any questions about it you can ask here or see your priest about it…

it was a sin to let her go, because she is obligated to go to church on Sunday, and we should not attend other church services, despite the popular belief that it is ok(i’m sure i’ll get yelled at for that remark)
but you do not necessarily have to confess it, because you did not know, however, you should talk to your priest about it anyways, as soon as possible, since i have no authority regarding sin…i really can’t tell you not to worry about it…so talk to your priest anyways, either in person, in confession, or on the phone, whatever’s good for you.
 
For her own sake, your daughter should be made aware, by acts, and not just words, that
her Catholic Faith takes priority over any other sort. It would do her grandmother good to
see that you mean business, and are not prepared to compromise - if she doesn`t like it,
then the problem lies with her, and not with you. Later on, in light of your standing firm,
she might even come to have respect for Catholicism, Courage can work wonders - the
example of the early Christian martyrs impressed their persecuters, and resulted in lots
of conversions…

I feel you did the wrong thing…

But enough moralizing…all the best!
 
Roy5 said:
There is only one God and one Christ. Going to a Protestant church is a good learning experience for Catholic children, just as Protestant children should attend Catholic mass if they are staying at a Catholic home over a Sunday. I was raised Protestant but often attended Catholic mass with friends, especially as a teenager with my Catholic girlfriend.
On a number of occasions, growing up, I recall attending midnight mass on Christmas at our small town’s Catholic church - standing room only back then. Many Protestants did the same, as we were less inclined to have a late Christmas Eve service. We had to go to bed early because Santa wouldn’t come until we were asleep!
Code: 
 This made me realize that Christianity had different expressions, that there are Catholic Christians and Protestant Christians, and that both were good people who had different ways of celebrating their common faith. Attending each other's churches helps end religious bigotry. I recall, sadly, that we could attend Catholic mass but our Catholic friends were warned by their priests never to enter our churches. That was before Vatican II, of course. 

  There is no one true church, just people who are truly loyal to Christ and seek to follow his commandments and example. How much better the world would be if religion paid less attention to divisive doctrines and liturgies and paid more attention to love. "Now these three abide, faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love." 

   God bless Catholics, Protestants and all of his children of every creed, color and country. May religion become a bridge rather than a barrier.
Click to expand...
My friend, what you are claiming is heresy, as catholics we profess that we believe in “ONE catholic and apostolic church”
there is one true church, the church Christ, Jesus, God Himself founded, every other religion is man made, and that is what sets them apart from the one true church, the one which Jesus said would never be destroyed, the one which He said He would return to,
you are being sucked into a very modern way of thinking,
and it’s not faith hope and love, it’s faith hope and charity, charity being the love of God above all other things, and the love of others for love of God.
if you want to see a truly loving and wonderful church, check out the fssp’s traditional latin mass, that is what i am apart of, and since i joined, i had never known so much love and compassion, so much joy and peace, and most importantly, so much love for God…of course i don’t speak of gushy emotional experiences, i speak more of internal devotion, true love, not all feelings, true love for God is best shown when we are not in our best mood, but we can always have peace and joy, even in our worst sufferings, because we know we are sufferings and living for God,
our purpose in life is to know love and serve God, and to save souls…and i think i’m right in saying…if your life isn’t hard, your not doing it right…
 
7 is the age of reason - that is why your daughter has either just rec’d FHC this past spring or is preparing for it this coming spring. Your daughter is required to attend Mass on Sundays and HDOs.

It is not HER sin, she is not old enough to get to Mass under her own steam.
 
Thank you everyone, I had a feeling it was but you all confirmed it. I will discuss this with my priest asap.
 
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