Posted on 04/25/2011 2:35:23 AM PDT by Robert Drobot
FLORESVILLE, Texas -- It was a religious milestone Irma Castro spent months preparing her grandson Kevin for, but when it came time for his first communion, he was denied.
Watch Jennifer Dodd's Report "It hurts and I think it's a form of discrimination," Castro said.
Castro was told by Pastor, Father Phil Henning, with the Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Floresville, that because Kevin had cerebral palsy and has the mental capacity of a 6-month-old, he didn't qualify to receive his first communion.
"He said because he was not able to understand the meaning of receiving the body of Christ," Castro said.
Canon law requires that a child receiving holy communion have "sufficient knowledge" of Christ, but it doesn't define what level of knowledge is considered sufficient.
(Excerpt) Read more at ksat.com ...
It’s not in the summary or title as posted but a subhead at the link mentions the child’s physical age is 8.
The sacraments presuppose faith and through their words and ritual elements, nourish, strengthen and give expression to faith.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Article III.
The Sacraments of Faith :
Section 1122 - Christ sent his apostles so that "repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations." "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." The mission to baptize, and so the sacramental mission, is implied in the mission to evangelize, because the sacrament is prepared for by the word of God and by the faith which is assent to this word: The People of God is formed into one in the first place by the Word of the living God.... the preaching of the Word is required for the sacramental ministry itself, since the sacraments are sacraments of faith, drawing their origin and nourishment from the Word.
Section 1123 - "The purpose of the sacraments is to sanctify men, to build up the Body of Christ and, finally, to give worship to God. Because they are signs they also instruct. They not only presuppose faith, but by words and objects they also nourish, strengthen, and express it. That is why they are called 'sacraments of faith."
In the Western Church, "the administration of the Most Holy Eucharist to children requires that they have sufficient knowledge and careful preparation so that they understand the mystery of Christ according to their capacity ( emphasis added ), and are able to receive the body of Christ with faith and devotion. In Catholic schools in the United States, children typically receive First Communion in second grade. The Most Holy Eucharist, however, can be administered to children in danger of death if they can distinguish the body of Christ from ordinary food and receive communion reverently" ( Code of Canon Law, canon 913 ). In the Eastern Catholic Churches, the Eucharist is administered to infants immediately after Baptism.
Holy Communion may be received under one kind ( the Sacred Host alone ), or under both kinds ( both the Sacred Host and the Precious Blood ). "Holy Communion has a fuller form as a sign when it is distributed under both kinds. For in this form the sign of the Eucharistic banquet is more clearly evident and clear expression is given to the divine will by which the new and eternal Covenant is ratified in the Blood of the Lord, as also the relationship between the Eucharistic banquet and the eschatological banquet in the Father's Kingdom... (However,) Christ, whole and entire, and the true Sacrament, is received even under only one species, and consequently that as far as the effects are concerned, those who receive under only one species are not deprived of any of the grace that is necessary for salvation" ( General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 281-282 ). I pray this innocent child of God will be permitted to receive His Most Precious Body in a protected setting.
My autistic son was allowed to receive and was confirmed...I have hope this child will as well.
I seem to remember someone significant in the Church saying: "Suffer the little children to come unto Me." Kind of a shame how all this ecclesiastical puffery gets in the way sometimes.
It's also interesting that the last phrase of "The Church teaches that the effect of a sacrament comes ex opere operato, by the very fact of being administered, regardless of the personal holiness of the minister administering it.";i.e., regardless of the personal holiness of the minister administering it, became an issue during the time of Augustine due to the Donatists. Saint Augustine argued this position in opposition to the Donatists. His position was that one could never be sure of the efficacy of the sacrament if one had to first verify the holiness of the cleric.
The Sacraments are Mysteries which, by definition, can never be fully understood by even the most learned and devote mortals. It goes without saying that the Body and Blood are spiritual food, nourishing to those who know and love the Risen Lord but poison to those who reject Him. The prerequisite should not be whether the individual knows the theology of the Eucharist but whether the individual knows and trusts the Lord.
A child that has been raised in the Church should receive the Eucharist. The faith of a child is a beautiful thing - unpolluted by the deceits and skepticism of the world. This is why Jesus said we must have faith like a child - trusting and believing instead of questioning and doubting. So what that the child does not know Eucharistic theology? The patient does not understand the science of the medicine prescribed, but he takes it because he has faith in his doctor.
Yet another case of the Catholic Church being exclusionary instead of welcoming. Their rigid and sometimes archaic beliefs are turning people to other religions.
They could have just gone to a Ruthenian or Ukrainian Catholic Church.
Then again, they could just get themselves really squared away and become Orthodox. ;)
I’m no expert but I think the sacraments function differently. We were taught in school that all babies must be baptised - even non Catholics or they would not be admitted to heaven.
The Host could only be administered to chilidren who had been educated in its holy mysteries - the same with Confirmation. Now that I think about it, I never saw a severely “mentally handicapped” child receiving Communion. Perhaps because in those days, parents had more sense and more education in the Catholic rites.
This isn't "the Church," it's one priest, and I'll be surprised if he isn't overruled by his bishop. If the child can receive the Eucharist without spitting it out, he should receive.
Eastern Rite Catholics communicate babies and toddlers all the time.
The word isn't "could," but only "normally is".
For example, it has always been the practice in the Latin Rite that a baptized child in danger of death could receive the Eucharist as Viaticum. (And be confirmed as well -- this is true even for infants.)
The sacraments don't require anything of the recipient except the absence of willful obstacles. That is why I think it sends the wrong message to make adolescents do "service hours" in order to be confirmed. It sends the message that a sacrament is something you earn by good works. Wrong! A sacrament is something that gives you the graces by which you are enabled to do good works.
Here's the "rigid" part on the necessity of Baptism:
1257 The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. (John 3:5--“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.") He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament.61 The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are "reborn of water and the Spirit." God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.
Now for the "exclusionary" parts:
1258 The Church has always held the firm conviction that those who suffer death for the sake of the faith without having received Baptism are baptized by their death for and with Christ. This Baptism of blood, like the desire for Baptism, brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament.
1259 For catechumens who die before their Baptism, their explicit desire to receive it, together with repentance for their sins, and charity, assures them the salvation that they were not able to receive through the sacrament.
Now for the REALLY "exclusionary" parts:
1260 "Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery."62 Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity.
1261 As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,"63 allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.
(I was also once anti-Catholic, then after years of checking out WHAT and WHY Catholics believed what they believed, I converted. Most Catholics don't understand that a pastoral decision like this lady faced can be appealed to the Bishop and to the Vatican.)
I think this priest is seriously confused about the severely mentally handicapped have always been able to take communion, as long as they can do so physically and, if they are capable of any understanding, they understand at least that it is special.
In his case, if he had the mental capacities of a six month old, obviously the main question would simply be whether he could hold still long enough and not spit out the host. But people with swallowing problems can also receive communion, often by intinction (wetting in the wine) of a tiny piece of the host.
We have to recall that communion also has effects that don’t depend on our own understanding (and which of us really “understands” God, anyway???) and the child should be allowed to experience this if possible.
Like BABIES can understand!
Similar rules in the LCMS.
One of the few sermons I remember when I was a kid was given by a pastor who worked with Downs children. He said that it often took them a while longer, but all were confirmed (in the LCMS that is when you get first Communion).
I still remember some of the examples he gave of their professions of faith.
But don't works of mercy dispose the soul to greater reception of grace? A bigger question is the level of catechesis. My hunch is that confirmation candidates should attend an Extraordinary Form of the High Mass (Missa Cantata) to be, hopefully, overwhelmed by the objective truth and beauty of the Catholic Faith and Jesus' presence in the Eucharist.
Otherwise--you're right--it's all about service. Like the Lions' Club.
“...but freely administers baptism to infants who clearly are not expressing personal faith..”
Oh for crying out loud!
Infant Baptism is necessary to free the soul from Original Sin.
The expression of personal faith occurs at Confirmation.
The necessity for Baptism is established in Jn 3:5 and Mk 16:16.
Infants were clearly among those Baptized in Lk 18:15 & Acts 16:33.
The practice is clearly documented in early church history in 215, 244 and again in 252.
I remember reading in an article about Mother Theresa that she presented a child who was mentally handicapped to
a priest and requested that child make their First Communion. When the priest began to question her she set out some consecrated hosts, some unconsecrated ones, a loaf of bread and a crucifix. The girl pointed to the unconsecrated hosts and then to the loaf of bread and then to the consecrated hosts and to the crucifix. The priest gave his consent.
Luke 9:48
Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”
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