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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
First Communion	Antonio	Thursday, September 9, 2004
Question: I have a doubt regarding 1st Communion. I started thinking about that when reading Q and A that were posted recently under the title "Sacraments of Initiation." I was told that, any catholic needed to receive permission from the Church in order to receive the Eucharist for the 1st time and that no one in the Latin Church is allowed to take the Eucharist without having a clear undestanding of what It is. I was told that that was the reason why the centuries-old discipline of the Lat. Church denied babies and little children the right to receive the Eucharist, while in the Eastern-Rite Churches children were given the Eucharist immediately after Baptism (while the Lat. Chur. valued the need for the conscience of the reception of the Sacrament. and of veneration towards It, the Eastern practice was inspired by the Lord's directive: Let children come unto Me). Having been baptized when a baby and raised as a Catholic, I was told, during my childhood, that I could not approach the Sacrament until I reached the proper age. Accordingly, when I was 10, I started going to cathecism classes once a week, and after two years of prep. (classes and even tests every six months), I was admitted to receiving 1st. C. On the eve of the 1st Comm. Mass, each of us had our 1st Confession with the parish priest. Just before the end of Mass (between the prayer after Comm. and the Final Blessing), the priest handed to each of us a certificate stating that we had passed the cathecism course, that he, as parish pr., had admited us to receive F. C., and that we had received the Sac.on the date of issue of the certificate. (I do not know if those certificates are used in other places. I do not know if they are required to be issued - either by local or universal law - or if they were issued just to give additional solemnity to the occasion). But I never doubted that children could not simply go in line and receive the Sacrament before being allowed to receive Communion by the Church. Based on all that, I always taught that one needed lawful canonical permission to receive the Eucharist for the first time as a subject of the Latin Church, and that to receive the Eucharist without such initiation was illicit. Of course, the case of adult convts. is different, cause the RCIA classes deal with all that is needed to make the candidate able to receive Baptism, plus Confirmation, Confession and Communion. Thus, my understanding was that, although First Communion is not a "Sacrament of Initiation", it did have juridical relevance in the Church's law, since it gave the children of the Latin C. the canonical go-ahaed to receive the Eucharist. In this sense a children's First communion would be an act of initiation, because they, unlike adult converts, can't receive the Sacrament of the Altar from the beggining of their Christian life, cause they first need to fulfill the criteria set by the Church's discipline. Is that R or W? I can't find any doc. adressing this issue.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Antonio: First, your post gives me the opportunity to make a notice to all our readers. Please do not use short-hand and abbreviations. Sometimes it becomes a full exercise to figure out abbreviations. Spell out the words. This is especially the case with words referring to sacred things, out of respect, such as the Sacrament. Thanks. To your question.... For both children and adult converts the Eucharist is part of the initiation in that it is closely associated with baptism and confirmation and begins the Eucharistic life of the person. Canon Law 842.2 says: The sacraments of baptism, confirmation and the blessed Eucharist so complement one another that all three are required for full Christian initiation. But there is no special Sacrament called "First Communion". First Communion is merely the first time receiving Communion. It is just with children we want to encourage them and celebrate their entry into the Eucharistic life of the Church. As for when children may receive Communion, canon law states: Canon 913.1 For holy communion to be administered to children, it is required that they have sufficient knowledge and be accurately prepared, so that according to their capacity they understand what the mystery of Christ means, and are able to receive the Body of the Lord with faith and devotion. Canon 913.2 The blessed Eucharist may, however, be administered to children in danger of death if they can distinguish the Body of Christ from ordinary food and receive communion with reverence. Canon 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. God bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

First Communion

Antonio

Thursday, September 9, 2004

Question:

I have a doubt regarding 1st Communion. I started thinking about that when reading Q and A that were posted recently under the title "Sacraments of Initiation."

I was told that, any catholic needed to receive permission from the Church in order to receive the Eucharist for the 1st time and that no one in the Latin Church is allowed to take the Eucharist without having a clear undestanding of what It is. I was told that that was the reason why the centuries-old discipline of the Lat. Church denied babies and little children the right to receive the Eucharist, while in the Eastern-Rite Churches children were given the Eucharist immediately after Baptism (while the Lat. Chur. valued the need for the conscience of the reception of the Sacrament. and of veneration towards It, the Eastern practice was inspired by the Lord's directive: Let children come unto Me).

Having been baptized when a baby and raised as a Catholic, I was told, during my childhood, that I could not approach the Sacrament until I reached the proper age.

Accordingly, when I was 10, I started going to cathecism classes once a week, and after two years of prep. (classes and even tests every six months), I was admitted to receiving 1st. C.

On the eve of the 1st Comm. Mass, each of us had our 1st Confession with the parish priest. Just before the end of Mass (between the prayer after Comm. and the Final Blessing), the priest handed to each of us a certificate stating that we had passed the cathecism course, that he, as parish pr., had admited us to receive F. C., and that we had received the Sac.on the date of issue of the certificate. (I do not know if those certificates are used in other places. I do not know if they are required to be issued - either by local or universal law - or if they were issued just to give additional solemnity to the occasion). But I never doubted that children could not simply go in line and receive the Sacrament before being allowed to receive Communion by the Church.

Based on all that, I always taught that one needed lawful canonical permission to receive the Eucharist for the first time as a subject of the Latin Church, and that to receive the Eucharist without such initiation was illicit.

Of course, the case of adult convts. is different, cause the RCIA classes deal with all that is needed to make the candidate able to receive Baptism, plus Confirmation, Confession and Communion.
Thus, my understanding was that, although First Communion is not a "Sacrament of Initiation", it did have juridical relevance in the Church's law, since it gave the children of the Latin C. the canonical go-ahaed to receive the Eucharist.

In this sense a children's First communion would be an act of initiation, because they, unlike adult converts, can't receive the Sacrament of the Altar from the beggining of their Christian life, cause they first need to fulfill the criteria set by the Church's discipline.

Is that R or W? I can't find any doc. adressing this issue.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Antonio:

First, your post gives me the opportunity to make a notice to all our readers. Please do not use short-hand and abbreviations. Sometimes it becomes a full exercise to figure out abbreviations. Spell out the words. This is especially the case with words referring to sacred things, out of respect, such as the Sacrament. Thanks.

To your question....

For both children and adult converts the Eucharist is part of the initiation in that it is closely associated with baptism and confirmation and begins the Eucharistic life of the person. Canon Law 842.2 says: The sacraments of baptism, confirmation and the blessed Eucharist so complement one another that all three are required for full Christian initiation.

But there is no special Sacrament called "First Communion". First Communion is merely the first time receiving Communion. It is just with children we want to encourage them and celebrate their entry into the Eucharistic life of the Church.

As for when children may receive Communion, canon law states:

Canon 913.1 For holy communion to be administered to children, it is required that they have sufficient knowledge and be accurately prepared, so that according to their capacity they understand what the mystery of Christ means, and are able to receive the Body of the Lord with faith and devotion.

Canon 913.2 The blessed Eucharist may, however, be administered to children in danger of death if they can distinguish the Body of Christ from ordinary food and receive communion with reverence.

Canon 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.

God bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum