Home Forums All Things Catholic why is there an age requirement before receiving the body of

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  • #1985
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    if an infant can get baptized then why cant an infant receive communion just in case he dies before getting to the proper age of receiving communion?

    yet another wandering thought from me…

    #9642
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Your thoughts are inline with the Church. Among the Eastern Catholics the practice is to baptize, give communion and confirm (chrisamate) the infant. Infants and very young children receive communion.

    In old Spanish colonies, the practice was by indult (Special permission) that all children or infants who were baptized were confirmed and received first communion at the same time. This was because there was a high rate of infant mortality. Since they were missionary territories, the Spanish colonies, (Central and South America, and the Phillipines, as well as a few smaller holdings) were granted this permission.

    In the case of the Eastern Catholics, the priest is the ordinary minister of confirmation. In the case of Latin Rite Catholics the priest may confirm, with special permission (faculties) or if the person is in danger of death, may “presume” those faculties, since there may not be time to obtain them before the person dies, and the priest is fairly sure that the Bishop would grant them.

    #9643
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    interesting! I had no idea that that’s the case, very neat!!! thank you sir!

    #9644
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Another thing that comes to mind is that the practice of reception of First Holy Communion in the fourth or fifth grade is fairly new. The custom was to wait until much later. Pope St. Pius X who’s Papacy was around 100 years ago encouraged several things, one was daily communion for those who were well disposed, the second was to lower the age of first communion. This link to the Vatican webpage discusses what the good Pope did.

    http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congr … nf_en.html

    #9645

    In the United States it’s pretty common for First Eucharist to be in second grade or around age 7, roughly considered the age of reason.

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