first confession

Father Mateo (76776.306@compuserve.com)
30 Jan 96 23:18:40 EST

To: cinaskf@catinfo.cts.com

# 960110.01
> From: FITZWATERR@platte.unk.edu
> Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996
> Subject: First Confession
> To: Father Mateo
>
> Dear Father,
>
> I am new to this list and I want to thank you for providing this
> forum. May God bless you for it. My question regards First
> Confession. I recently read while reading the Catholic
> Catechism that the proper time for this is before First
> Communion. The Catechism seems to very explicit that this must
> be the proper order of reception. In my diocese children
> routinely are receiving First Communion in the second grade and
> First Confession in the fourth grade. Both of my children did
> so. Now I'm wondering if our bishop and priests are in
> rebellion against proper Church authority. I certainly don't
> want to be making unsubstantiated accusations, but I do very
> much want to be in union with the Holy See. I would approach my
> pastor with this question, but right now he is recuperating from
> quadruple by-pass surgery and is need of another surgery on a
> clogged artery in his neck. We have visiting priests for Sunday
> Mass.
>
> Thank you for your help.
> Ruth Fitzwater

Dear Ruth,

Canon Law today is very clear that parents and parish priests
must "see that children who have reached the use of reason are
correctly prepared and are nourished by the Divine Food as early
as possible, PRECEDED BY SACRAMENTAL CONFESSION"
(canon 914, emphases added).

If a child is not judged "ready" for confession, one violates
long pastoral practice and tradition to introduce him first to
Holy Communion. Catholics, especially parents, teachers, and
priests may be guilty of grave and general negligence in teaching
and practicing the sacrament of Penance. Although the Eucharist
is the crown of all the sacraments, it does not substitute for
any of the others. Regular and frequent confession is a powerful
incentive to holiness and the finest possible preparation for
fruitful Holy Communions.

In every sacrament, it is Christ who acts. We only cooperate
with Him, following His lead. If a child is old enough to be
aware that he has committed a fault, surely he is old enough to
admit the fault to God through His priest, apologize, and promise
to behave in the future.

God then takes that simple childish act of faith, trust, and
regret and works miracles of grace with it through the sacrament
in the child's mind and soul.

Every sacrament uses trifles to produce miracles. Meditate on
what Christ does with ten cents worth of bread and wine when from
them He produces the Eucharist, Himself, the guarantee of our
eternal life. Then you may guess what really goes on when a
child goes to confession.

Please write to St. Joseph Foundation --- 4211 Gardendale, Suite
A-100 San Antonio, TX 78229. Ask them to send you a copy of
CHRISTIFIDELIS, Advent, 1991, Vol 9, No. 6. It is free, but a
donation to defray expenses will be welcome.

On page 8 that issue, there is a notice that Archbishop Stafford
of Denver has issued a "Pastoral Handbook". This document
expressly forbids such liturgical abuses as "unauthorized changes
in liturgical texts, liturgical dance, clown Masses, FIRST
COMMUNION BEFORE FIRST CONFESSION, and the excessive use of
extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist." (emphases added).
Archbishop Stafford here merely echoes frequent instructions on
these subjects from Rome.

Sincerely in Christ,
Father Mateo

- Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit -

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