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Hello Everyone,
It has been a long while since I posted here. I hope everyone is doing well and has enjoyed God's blessings. I have a question. Our Byz Parish is over 90 minutes from our house. I have five children under 8 and gas is over 2.50 a gallon. Therefore, we are not making it to the church very often. Instead, we are going to a local RC church. The pastor there is a lovely and receptive man. I believe that we have the right to receive child/infant communion in RC Churches. He is bascially willing, but would like a citation of canon law or some authoritative statement to make him feel secure. Can somebody help me with this problem? What source can I show him to put his conscience at ease about "underage" communion? Thanks.
KH

It is very difficult to be an Eastern Catholic in a country that is predominantly Western. All too often our local Catholic Churches do not know of - or understand - the great diversity of our faith.

The following article, which originally appeared in Sophia (May-Aug 2001) explores this situation and includes the a personal letter of explanation from Roman Bishop Gerald Barnes of the Diocese of San Bernardino,

If I May: OUR CASE IS HEARD

by Richard R. Velazquez

Ever since I married my wife Shedha at St. Anne Melkite church in North Hollywood, CA, I knew that someday we would have our own children and that we would bring them to Christianity through the Melkite Church. I have always felt that it is a great spiritual joy and pride when an Eastern Christian parent brings his or her infant child to receive the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ during the Divine Liturgy. My day of joy came when I initiated my two adopted children on December 20, 1998, at St. Phillip Melkite Mission in San Bernardino, CA. The priest was Fr. Justin Rose. This was a wonderful day in the life of our families.

My joy however, was short lived. You see we live in an area which has no Melkite Church. St. Phillip is an hour away from our home and it is not always possible to attend Sunday Divine Liturgy there. We then attend Mass in a Latin church in either Desert Hot Springs or in Palm Springs. Soon after initiating my children I attended Mass in the Latin church of St. Elizabeth of Hungry in Desert Hot Springs. When I approached the Altar with my children, the priest refused to give my son Fans and my daughter Henadee communion. He stated that when I am in a Roman church I must do as the Romans. I then spoke with another priest in Palm Springs and he gave my children communion only once. I did not question him as to why he did not continue. I did not want to cause any problem. I then attended the Divine Liturgy in both Orthodox churches in the Desert and they too refused to give us communion unless we became Orthodox. I explained that I was already Orthodox but that I was in union with Rome. The thought of converting to the Greek or Antiochian Orthodox Church did cross my mind but then I recalled the sermon of our late Patriarch Maximos V Hakim in which he thanked and implored all Melkites for not leaving the faith to either the Latin or the Orthodox Churches.

Each Sunday when I would attend mass in a Latin Church I would take the Eucharist in the hand and not consume it until I went to the pew and shared it with my children. I was questioned twice as to why I did this? The Latin Catholics could not understand why a child or infant could receive communion. I explained to them that while they had their age of reason, we, the Melkites, had the Holy Spirit.

In late 1999 or early 2000 while visiting Fr. Joe, a retired Ruthenian priest I noticed that he had a booklet titled �Eastern Catholics in the United States.� (This booklet was published by the Committee on the Relationship between the Eastern and Latin Catholic Churches National Conference of Catholic Bishops in June 1999) I borrowed the booklet and read it from cover to cover. On pages 26 through 29 it explains the Eastern Holy Mystery of Christian Initiation and that infants are given communion. It goes on to state on page 28 Paragraph 4 that �Holy Communion may be received in any Catholic Church.� I tried to bring this fact to the Latin priest in my area but I was not able to find the diplomatic terms or words to do so.


It was not until I attended the Grand Opening of Martha�s Village and Kitchen in Indio, CA, on January or February 2001, that I was to do anything about it. The Latin Bishop of San Bernardino was present and after the services I approached him. I explained my situation to him and he informed me that the rules had been revised and that it was no longer an issue. He asked me to write him a letter and that he would take care of the issue. And, as you can see from the following letter the issue is now History:


�Dear Mr. Velazquez:

God�s blessing to you. This letter is i


n response to your e-mail which followed our conversation at Martha�s Kitchen regarding your children not being allowed to receive communion either at St. Elizabeth in Desert Hot Springs or at Our Lady of Solitude in Palm Springs. I apologize for the delay. I appreciate that this is a matter of serious concern to you and your family. Eastern Catholics in communion with the Catholic Church have the right to receive communion in our Church and are to be welcomed to the Eucharist in all the parishes in the Diocese of San Bernardino, CA.

In his Decree on the Catholic Churches o


f the Eastern Rite, Pope Paul VI, on November 21, 1964, says: 3. These individual Churches, whether of the East or the West, although they differ somewhat among themselves in rite, that is, in liturgy, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual heritage, are nevertheless, each as much as the others, entrusted to the pastoral government of the Roman Pontiff, the divinely appointed successor of St. Peter in primacy over the universal Church. They are consequently of equal dignity, so that none of them is superior to the others as regards to rite and they enjoy the same rights and are under the same obligations, also in respect of preaching the Gospel to the whole world (cf. Mark 16,15) under the guidance of the Roman Pontiff.

In his 1995 apostolic letter, Orientate Lumen, The Light of the East, Pope John Paul II wrote, �A particular thought goes out to the lands of the Diaspora where many faithful of the Eastern Churches who have left their countries of origin are living in a mainly Latin environment.� The Pope continued, �I particularly urge the Latin Ordinaries in these countries to study attentively, grasp thoroughly and apply faithfully the principles issued by this Holy See concerning ecumenical cooperation and the pastoral care of the faithful of the Eastern Catholic Churches, especially when they lack their own hierarchy.� As Bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino, I understand that in this big diocese it is not always possible for the faithful to attend their own church on Sundays though this is considered first choice. When Eastern Catholic families like yours celebrate the Sunday obligation in one of our Latin Catholic Parishes they are welcome to the Eucharistic table.

The Committee on the Relationship between Eastern and Latin Catholic Churches of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, in their work �Eastern Catholics in the United States of America,� in 1999, explains that in the USA, �It is the normal practice of the Church that Catholics celebrate the Lord�s day by participating in the celebration of the Eucharist in a community of their own church. Nevertheless, where there is diversity of Churches in the one place, the faithful worthily celebrate the resurrection of Jesus by attending the Eucharist in any of the autonomous ritual Churches.�

Holy Communion may be received in any Catholic Church. Since sacramental initiation in the mystery of salvation is perfected in the reception of the Divine Eucharist, children of Eastern Catholic Churches who have not received the Eucharist at the time of their Christian initiation, should receive their first Holy Communion in their own autonomous Church.

May God bless you for your continued commitment to Our Lord Jesus Christ and our Christian faith. Thank you for sharing with me your concern in this matter.

Sincerely in Christ, Most Reverend Gerald R. Barnes, Bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino�

Code of Canon Law


The reception of the Mysteries for Eastern Catholic is governed by the Code of Canon Law for the Eastern Churches, a seperate body of law than that of the Roman Church. Your children, being subject to the Canon Law of the Eastern Churches, are not prohibited by law from recieving the Sacraments.

Your children would therefore have a Canonical Right to present themselves for the Sacraments, and Sacred Ministers would have a Canonicial Obligation to provide such.

Thanks guys. I was able to use this information as well as help from the Seminary in Pittsburgh to show my Western priest the canonicity of infant communion. My family and I attended an evening weekday Mass last night, where all my children (including my 11 month old baby son) received Holy Communion. It was beautiful and a big relief now that it is hard for us to get to our distant Byzantine parish. Thanks for the helping comments.
KH

My Catholic grade school had a Byzantine parish as a 'feeder' parish, so every grade had a few Eastern Catholics, and all were welcome at the Altar, regardless of age (which caused no end of envy when I was in first grade :p )

The Catholic School my kids go to has a Chaldean parish as a 'feeder' parish, so my son is in the same boat I was, watching 3 of his classmates go up for Communion.

Dear friends:

There is something about the Roman sacramental practices which seem very un-natural and against true Christian practice.

First of all, the modern Roman Bishops refuse to Chrismate babies and hold that one cannot be Chrismated until the "age of reason" and this rationalist and non-christian thinking is also extended to the Eucharist, a small child cannot take communion until he made his "first communion".

However, Chrismation is not required for children who do first Communion so there are many men who become adults taking communion without being Chrismated (how is that they can partake in the Eucharist while not being themselves given full membership in the Church by the mystery of Chrismation?). This is no sense.

The Roman Church should restore true Christian practice of merging the three mysteries in one after the baby is born (just as it is done with adult converts), or at least (this seems more in accord to Roman tradition) join Chrismation and the Eucharist.

Last week a friend of mine brought his American girlfriend who was raised in a Presbyterian Church but she will convert to Catholicism because the husband is Catholic and the ceremony of conversion included Baptism, Chrismation and Communion.

Good point, Mexican.

Our daughter was very blessed to make the conversion journey with her father and I. As a convert, even a young convert, she was received into the Church at the Easter Vigil Mass with her father and I. So she received the RC Sacrament of Confirmation and then First Holy Communion at the age of 7. Which caused no end of envy among her Catholic school friends in her 3rd grade class.

I am very glad that our priest at that time felt that she was ready and properly prepared to fully enter the Church so that she received the Sacraments in the proper order.

I've never understood the idea of allowing the children to receive the Eucharist years before they receive the Confirmation.

This has been a big confusion to me also. How can you baptize a baby without requiring "reasoned assent" and then immediately demand "reasoned assent" for the mystery of Holy Communion and Chrismation?? Our local RC priest has been very loving about all this. I can say that after our children received at their first Sunday Mass, there were many questions. Most in a good spirit though.

If I might humbly interject in defense of my own tradition, I pray that my comments will be understood as entirely brotherly, and not meant as antagonistic:

As I understand it, the difference between then timing of the East and the West has its roots in the fact that, in the West, the ordinary minister of Chrismation/Confirmation is the Bishop. In our tradition, everyone is confirmed by the bishop.

Now my understanding is that as the western church expanded and grew (particularly in missionary countries), the bishops were not able to be present at every baptism. As such, children and converts were baptised, and then confirmed when the bishop was able to get there. Thus, there was a delay in western practice between baptism and chrismation.

Since travel was difficult, it would typically be a number of years before the Bishop could arrive to minister the sacrament. Thus it happened that in many cases children were approaching or had just attained "the age of reason" when they received the Sacrament.

This was recognized as being a pastorally beneficial circumstance, and it became common practice within the Roman Rite.

I hope that we can acknowledge this for what it is, namely, a perfectly legitimate historical development within the western church, and acknowledge that there is nothing faulty or wrong with the practice as such.

Your Brother In Christ,

Jeff

Dear Jeff,

A priest in the Catholic tradition does have the right to chrismate. According to the RCIA, a priest may impart chrismation at the Easter Vigil to all that convert, irrespective of age, so long as a bishop has blessed it. I believe an earlier post confirmed this by a seven year old being baptised, confirmed, and then receiving their first communion, to the envy of their classmates.

The bishop in the western tradition, has only reserved this authority generally to his office for less than 1,000 years. Generally, travel had nothing to do with it, but was for the most part combined with his obligation to perform regular pastoral visits to a parish. If you examine the criteria for chrismation it has varied in age in requirement over the past 200 years.

All,
The question originally posed on this thread, is why children that are under the age of reasoning (generally 7, though this has also varied) who have received the Eucharist in the Byzantine Church, not be permitted to receive in a Roman Catholic Church that it is in communion with.

The poster I believed was looking for some sort of documentation so that their child could receive in a Roman Catholic Church in which is the only parish in their area that they have moved to.

Any and all documentation to either is welcome so that the original poster can feel confident so that they have their child partake or that they have to make arrangements by a lengthy trip. That was the request I believe so please help out.

In Christ,
Father Anthony+

It may fall in here some place. Maybe someone can find it.

http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_PJT.HTM

Pani Rose,

I'm sure it is there somewhere, but it is going take a considerable amount of time to narrow it dow. Everytime I thought I was near the link that would answer it another twenty would come up. I'll keep trying, for I would like these children to receive with out having to make 90 mile trip each way.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

Father Anthony,

I was doing some more surfing and found this. This is from the Melkite web site and refers to a family with children under the age of when the Roman Churh would allow Eucharist.

In his 1995 apostolic letter, Orientate Lumen, The Light of the East, Pope John Paul II wrote, �A particular thought goes out to the lands of the Diaspora where many faithful of the Eastern Churches who have left their countries of origin are living in a mainly Latin environment.� The Pope continued, �I particularly urge the Latin Ordinaries in these countries to study attentively, grasp thoroughly and apply faithfully the principles issued by this Holy See concerning ecumenical cooperation and the pastoral care of the faithful of the Eastern Catholic Churches, especially when they lack their own hierarchy.� As Bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino, I understand that in this big diocese it is not always possible for the faithful to attend their own church on Sundays though this is considered first choice. When Eastern Catholic families like yours celebrate the Sunday obligation in one of our Latin Catholic Parishes they are welcome to the Eucharistic table.

The Committee on the Relationship between Eastern and Latin Catholic Churches of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, in their work �Eastern Catholics in the United States of America,� in 1999, explains that in the USA, �It is the normal practice of the Church that Catholics celebrate the Lord�s day by participating in the celebration of the Eucharist in a community of their own church. Nevertheless, where there is diversity of Churches in the one place, the faithful worthily celebrate the resurrection of Jesus by attending the Eucharist in any of the autonomous ritual Churches.�

Holy Communion may be received in any Catholic Church. Since sacramental initiation in the mystery of salvation is perfected in the reception of the Divine Eucharist, children of Eastern Catholic Churches who have not received the Eucharist at the time of their Christian initiation, should receive their first Holy Communion in their own autonomous Church.

http://www.melkite.org/sa37.htm

Pani Rose

Pani Rose,

Great! I can kiss you. I hope this what KH needs for his children. It is an official document that may sway his RC parish priest.

It is nice the others want to debate the issue, but we are talking about children receiving the Eucharist according to the dictates of their church. I would rather have the little chilfren brought to Christ, then told to stay away.

Thank you,
Father Anthony+

Amen Abouna,

Hey I will take that hug when we meet in heaven
if not before then someday

He says suffer not the little children to come unto me. I love it in Church watching the little ones receive.

We have several that know when Fr. goes out in procession for the Great Entrance that Eucharist is near and they will not be quiet until the receive. I mean they are maybe 1 1/2 years old. They know Jesus is going to be there for them. There moms get a little upset with them and we all say it is ok. I mean they really bring conviction to our souls.

Also, the little ones say under 5, who get so excited and say to you - I am going to get Jesus Bread, are you? And they have the most awesome joy, excitement, and a twinkle in their eyes.

The bishop of RC Diocese of Birmingham Al, on his visits is so funny. He gives Communion, oh my the look of joy on his face when he gives an infant to suckle at the Eucharist. It is all he can do to keep from breaking out joyously laughing, you can see it in his eyes and also - he has a really hard time keeping from grinning from ear to ear. I wonder what he must experience when he is able to give Eucharist to someone that small.

Anyway, glad it helped.

Pani Rose