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I have a question regarding my daughters (5&7) first communion. At the time of their baptisms, we were active in a Byzantine Catholic church, and they received the traditional baptism, communion, and confirmation together. It was my understanding that since they began at that point to receive communion, there was no further "first communion."
When we began attending an RC parish for various reasons, I did not send them forward for communion, as this is not customary until about the second grade. The older one is now old enough not to "stand out" receiving the Eucharist, and so she has been doing so, while the younger one will wait a while yet.
Should a further "first communion" be expected, since BC sacraments and rites are fully recognized? In looking at the certificate of baptism, it only lists baptism and confirmation as completed...but there is no mention of communion. In the BC, aren't they all covered together?
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In the BCC MCoP,SI, they usually are, but were not always.
But, being that they have been communed, they should be receiving at least once a year, since that is the duty imposed upon latins and easterns under canon law.
You should, however, arrange for the 2nd grader to make a 1st solemn confession.
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As a Catechetical leader in a Latin Parish I would encourage you to contact the parish in which your children were Baptized just to make sure they received Eucharist at the time of their Sacramental Initiation.
If they have received I would set up individual classes for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As a Byzantine Catholic you are still obligated to follow the Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches as well as the particular Church's canon law.
If you are planning changing particular Churches I would encourage you to register your kids for "Religious Education," if you plan on staying a Byzantine Catholic I would suggest educating your children in the discipline of the Byzantine Church. If you plan on remaining a member of the Byzantine Catholic Church I would encourage you not to enroll your children in Rel. Ed. because most preparation is for Latin understanding of Faith and for Reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Since you're children have already been Chrismated it is unnecessary.
I believe the first thing you should do is schedule a meeting with the Pastor of the Latin Church you are attending and explain your situation.
If I could be of any help please feel free to message me.
Peace in Christ,
Ed
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"First Holy Communion" has no canonical significance or effects. But if your children are accustomed to receive Holy Communion they will be surprised to be told that they can no longer do so.
Just what is a "solemn first Confession"? I am unfamiliar with such a concept.
Fr. Serge
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Some Ruthenian (and Roman) pastors hear non-sacramental confessions from youth not fully prepared (mentally) for sacramental confession, providing pastoral guidance in a more informal mode, sometimes in the confessional. My daughter did so several times before her first sacramental confession.
Further, if at first confession, absolution is withheld (and it's happened), it's still solemn confession, but not the sacramental confession, for the sacrament is withheld. Canon law lists a number of reasons why absolution might be withheld, including non-repentance, indication of no intent to avoid repetition, and sins for which absolution is reserved to the bishop and/or apostolic see.
1st solemn confession covers all the above "abnormalities"... I've heard the term used on a byzantine rite video or two, and in some Roman rite catechetical materials.
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Just what is a "solemn first Confession"? I am unfamiliar with such a concept. When Greek Catholics in the U.S. restored infant communion in its entirety (i.e., children received communion at baptism and continued to receive it regularly thereafter), there were, shall we say, "pastoral complications"; to whit, many people missed the social aspects of "first communion"--the little kids dressing up in tuxedos and wedding gowns, the photo opportunities, the big party, the presents (at least the kids missed the presents). Rather than face the wrath of the Babas, most parishes instituted this "solemn first confession" as an excuse to have a first communion Liturgy without it actually being first communion. Vestigial latinism. I personally think the whole thing ridiculous, and when my daughter told me she wanted to go to confession "out of turn" as it were, I talked to the priest, and he heard her confession. End of story. When a child is ready, a child is ready, and it might be at a younger or older age than the nominal seven. My own view is parents, the priest and the child together should determine when a child is ready for confession, based on their own emotional, intellectual and spiritual development.
Last edited by StuartK; 09/21/09 11:06 AM.
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Some Ruthenian (and Roman) pastors hear non-sacramental confessions from youth not fully prepared (mentally) for sacramental confession I am not sure what this means. Could you explain it, please?
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Like 4-6 year olds, who realize that you talk to the priest when you sin, but are not mentally capable of comprehending the sacramental nature of the confessional.
The priest in such cases functions more as councilor, as such children are not yet held sacramentally culpable due to age alone.
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Like 4-6 year olds, who realize that you talk to the priest when you sin, but are not mentally capable of comprehending the sacramental nature of the confessional. So, if it is necessary to understand the sacramental nature of confession, why is it not necessary to understand the sacramental nature of the Eucharist, too? If you have infant communion, you can (and ought to) have infant confession, as soon as a child is old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. The priest in such cases functions more as councilor, as such children are not yet held sacramentally culpable due to age alone. But, in the Byzantine Tradition, the confessor is principally a counsellor, insofar as confession and reconciliation are seen more as a means of strengthening against future sin than as atonement for past sins. In other words, "culpability" is more of a juridical term, while the general approach to confession in the Christian East is more therapeutically focused.
Last edited by StuartK; 09/21/09 01:45 PM.
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No argument, Stuart. But the Catholic teaching on sin is that understanding is needed to be held bound by sin; it is a reflection on the Mercy of God, as much as it is a reflection of the juridical mindset... baptized children, and mentally defective adults (due to mental disability or disease) are not held to be as damaged by their sins. a few quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (which while written from a Roman viewpoint, generally, is intended for all catholics)... IV. Interior Penance
1430 Jesus' call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before him, does not aim first at outward works, "sackcloth and ashes," fasting and mortification, but at the conversion of the heart, interior conversion. Without this, such penances remain sterile and false; however, interior conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures and works of penance.23
1431 Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help of his grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of heart).24
[...]
The confession of sins
1455 The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even from a simply human point of view, frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Through such an admission man looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible.
1456 Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance: "All mortal sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted by them in confession, even if they are most secret and have been committed against the last two precepts of the Decalogue; for these sins sometimes wound the soul more grievously and are more dangerous than those which are committed openly."54
When Christ's faithful strive to confess all the sins that they can remember, they undoubtedly place all of them before the divine mercy for pardon. But those who fail to do so and knowingly withhold some, place nothing before the divine goodness for remission through the mediation of the priest, "for if the sick person is too ashamed to show his wound to the doctor, the medicine cannot heal what it does not know."55
1457 According to the Church's command, "after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year."56 Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession.57 Children must go to the sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time.58
1458 Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.59 Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father's mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful:60
Whoever confesses his sins . . . is already working with God. God indicts your sins; if you also indict them, you are joined with God. Man and sinner are, so to speak, two realities: when you hear "man" - this is what God has made; when you hear "sinner" - this is what man himself has made. Destroy what you have made, so that God may save what he has made .... When you begin to abhor what you have made, it is then that your good works are beginning, since you are accusing yourself of your evil works. the beginning of good works is the confession of evil works. You do the truth and come to the light.61 1457 has an error, or more correctly, a latin restriction, expressed as universal. It's the first time I noted it. Only the Roman Church restricts communion to those who have been to confession.
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Thank you for all of this input. The restriction in CCC 1457 would seem to apply, as we are worshipping in the Roman context. I'm contacting the baptismal parish to verify first communion, and will begin moving them toward confession, although it's probably a little early for it to be meaningful, especially for the younger one.
Also, both parents are still of the Latin Rite: does the childrens' baptism/confirmation in the Byzantine parish make them officially BCers? (Sorry, this should probably all be over at the East-West forum, so I'll move any further inquiry to another thread.)
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If both parents of members of the Latin Church you're children are "members" of the Latin Church. The only way they would be members of the Byzantine Church, from my discussions with priests, would be that you would have needed to sign a document stating that although you are members of the Latin Church you want your children to be members of a different particular Church.
Contacting the Parish of Baptism would be the best route to take and if you need more assistance I would contact the Chancery of the Church your children were Baptized in and the Chancery of the current Latin Diocese.
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At Baptism, children below the age of 14 years are ascribed to the Church sui iuris of their father if the parents are of different sui iuris Churches - unless the parents specifically request that the children be ascribed to the Church of the mother.
If both parents are of the Latin Church, the children are Latin, regardless of the particular Church sui iuris of the parish in which the Mystery of Baptism was conferred. The parents can only make that choice to which Ed refers of having the child ascribed to another Church in the circumstances that I described in the first paragraph - the parents being of two different Churches.
If you stop and think about it, there is a logic to it. The expectation is that parents will raise their children according to the spirituality, praxis, etc of the Church sui iuris to which they (the children) belong. If the parents are not of that same Church, doing so presents difficulties (albeit not insurmountable) that would be preferably avoided.
At the time that the children were baptized, the priest should have recorded in the Sacramental Register that they were of the Latin Church - if he realized that the parents had not transferred their canonical enrollment. At present, although they have already been communed, I suspect that most Latin clergy would elect to defer communing them until after they are of age to confess (and that is an argument that I'm not certain you can win - at least not easily, unless you have a particularly sympathetic Latin Bishop).
However, they should not receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Latin Church, as they have already received the Mystery of Chrismation and that is a Mystery/Sacrament that is not repeated. You should definitely secure documentation from the Byzantine parish in which they recieved the Mysteries of Initiation to forestall any dispute about this in the future.
Many years,
Neil
PS - you might want to consider your options as regards attending a Byzantine parish (Ruthenian, Ukrainian, or Melkite) with the idea of eventually transferring your canonical enrollment, should you and your wife be inclined to do that. There are a fair number of parishes in FL among those 3 Churches. If you need particulars as to the ones available, either PM me here or e-mail me at EC_Parish_Webmaster@yahoo.com and give me an idea as to the area of FL in which you live.
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
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We are in a similar situation. We are Latin Rite parents who worship in a Ruthenian parish. Our children have all been Baptized and Christmated, and regularly receive Holy Communion in our Ruthenian parish. We also regularly attend Mass in a Latin parish, often during the week. For years, I took the attitude "when in Rome" and did not allow my children to receive Holy Communion when were were in a Latin Rite church. As my older children approached 7 and 5, they started to ask questions, and thinking that Communion is somehow different (in a spiritual sense) and more special, in the Latin Church. I didn't want this attitude to develop anymore, so I approached the priest at the Latin parish and he had absolutely no problem giving Communion to my 5 and 7 year old. I did not ask him to give Communion to my 2 year old and baby. I have had similar experiences with other priests. I know that this is certainly not the universal attitude, but it has been my experience with several priests.
I was also a Latin Rite child being raised in the Ruthenian Church in the early 70s. When I started Catholic school at the local Latin Rite parish, my parents approached the priest in advance, and he was not opposed to allowing my siblings and I to receive Communion. He did have to spend some time on educating the good Sisters, who never were quite convince, I think.
I agree with Irish Melkite, though. A formal transfer to the Ruthenian Church would "regularize" our situation and remove any question about our children's right to receive Communion in a Latin Church. One of these days...
Elizabeth
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