Re: Poll: Age at reception of the Sacraments

Posted by Gabby on April 01, 2004 at 08:06:39:

In Reply to: Re: Poll: Age at reception of the Sacraments posted by Br. Rich SFO on April 01, 2004 at 07:00:29:

: Currently Canon Law requires that anyone receiving Communion have access to Reconciliation. You can't have Reconciliation too far removed from First Communion. Also a directive from Rome several years ago requires ALL Bishops to insure that the proper order is followed in their diocese of First Reconciliation before First Communion.

Rome also asked us to restore the order of the sacraments to Baptism, Confirmation & First Communion.

: Something that also applies to Confirmation. Canon Law says that the person must fully understand what it is that they are receiving, and request it on their own.

Canon Law also says to confirm babies in danger of death, but does not say to give them communion. What a child needs to know to receive communion is more than what they need to know to be confirmed.

I was confirmed at the age of 7, 43 years ago. What I "understood" about the sacrament then was much less than what our 7 yr. olds understand today, since preparation in my day involved memorizing questions and answers. There was no requirement that we understand what the Q. & A.s meant. We weren't expected to ask for explanations either.

:I think that most 12 year olds simply do as their parents tell them (which they should, in most things) and are not in reality freely requesting this Sacrament because they want to receive it.

By now most of the parents who present their children for first communion know that they will be confirmed first. Only the recent arrivals are surprised by it. The other dioceses in my province, who had 14 or 15 as the age of Confirmation, are gradually dropping the age by two years each year until they reach the age where they can restore the order. Our bishop just decided when we lost denominational schools that it was the perfect opportunity to restore the order and make all the changes at once.

Gabby

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• Re: Poll: Age at reception of the Sacraments Br. Rich SFO 12:34:16 4/01/04 (0)

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: : Currently Canon Law requires that anyone receiving Communion have access to Reconciliation. You can't have Reconciliation too far removed from First Communion. Also a directive from Rome several years ago requires ALL Bishops to insure that the proper order is followed in their diocese of First Reconciliation before First Communion. : Rome also asked us to restore the order of the sacraments to Baptism, Confirmation & First Communion. : : Something that also applies to Confirmation. Canon Law says that the person must fully understand what it is that they are receiving, and request it on their own. : Canon Law also says to confirm babies in danger of death, but does not say to give them communion. What a child needs to know to receive communion is more than what they need to know to be confirmed. : I was confirmed at the age of 7, 43 years ago. What I "understood" about the sacrament then was much less than what our 7 yr. olds understand today, since preparation in my day involved memorizing questions and answers. There was no requirement that we understand what the Q. & A.s meant. We weren't expected to ask for explanations either. : : :I think that most 12 year olds simply do as their parents tell them (which they should, in most things) and are not in reality freely requesting this Sacrament because they want to receive it. : By now most of the parents who present their children for first communion know that they will be confirmed first. Only the recent arrivals are surprised by it. The other dioceses in my province, who had 14 or 15 as the age of Confirmation, are gradually dropping the age by two years each year until they reach the age where they can restore the order. Our bishop just decided when we lost denominational schools that it was the perfect opportunity to restore the order and make all the changes at once. : Gabby

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