This is correct.
We have a neighborhood child making his “first communion” today. We are invited to the party following.
All the kid can talk about is how much money he will get, not one word about Jesus or faith.
This is why the Catholic church has fallen into 2nd place behind Islam as the largest religion.
Quite a generalization to make based on one seven-year-old. Life must be very simple for you.
That is the truth, some good friends of mine whose son just finished Catechism had a similar outlook, when I offered him 10 dollars if he could tell me anything that he learned, his reply was “Jesus loves me”.
How many kids of any denomination need to be reminded Christmas isn't about presents?
This is an indictment of materialism and consumerism, not Catholicism.
The problem is that the church, in its desire to gain/keep adherents, long ago said that you were a Catholic so long as you were confirmed, etc. So you have all these people who were born catholic, went through the routines, but never really studied or were indoctrinated into the faith. The Church would be better off if it was smaller but all of its members were believers.
Sounds like the kid has a family problem, not a religion one. I have had two go through first communion and neither got any money. They got communion. It was important to them and they behaved like it was important to them. I went through first communion and I remember how big of a deal it was. Never got a penny for it though. Sounds like the neighborhood kid needs to wake up.
It is an inevitable result of religious ceremonies such as communion or baptism taking place with those who are too young to understand the significance of those acts. It is also the reason why performing those ceremonies on those who are too young to understand (and thus make a meaningful choice) is meaningless and performed in vain.