The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-09-17
CHILDREN AND FIRST COMMUNION.

An important decree in reference to the First
Communion Of children was recently issued by s..
Congregation on the discipline of Sacraments. The
ordinances are as follows:
l. The age of discretion required both for
Confession and Communion is the time when the
child begins to reason, that is, about the seventh
year, more or less. From this time on the obliga-
ton of satisfying the precept of both Confession
and Communion begins.
II. Both for First Confession and First Com
munion a complete and perfect knowledge of Chris
tan Doctrine is not Necessary. The child will,
however, be obliged to gradually learn the whole
catechism according to its ability.
III. The knowledge of Christian Doctrine re-
qured in children in order to be properly prepared
for First Holy Communion is that they understand
according to their capacity those mysteries of
Faith which are necessary as a means of salvation
that they be able to distinguish the Eucharist from
common and material bread, and also approach
the sacred table with the devotion becoming their
age
". The obligation of the precept of Comics
sion and Communion which rests upon the child
falls back principally upon those in whose care they
are that IS parents confessors teachers and their
pastor It belongs to the father, however, or to
the person taking his place, lso to thae pastor
TO admit the child to First Holy Communion
V. The pastors shall take care TO announce
and distribute General Communion once or sew
eral times year to the children and on these oc-
casions they shall admit not only first communi-
cants, but also others, who with the consent of
their parents and the pastor, have already been
admitted to the sacred table before. For both
classes several days of instruction and preparation
shall precede
VI Those who have the care of children
should use all diligence so that after First Com
munion the children shall often approach the holy
table even daily. if possible, as Jesus Christ and
Mother Church desire and that they do it with a
devotion becoming their age. They should bear in
mind their most important duty, by which they
are obliged to have the children present at the pub
lie instructions in catechism otherwise they must
supply this religious instruction in some other way
VII The custom of not admitting children
to confession, or of not absolving them, is abso-
lrtely condemned. Wherefore the Ordinaries of
places, using those means which the law gives
them, shall see that it is done away with
VIII 1t is an utterly detestable abuse not to
administer Viatcum and Extreme Unction to chill
dren having attained the use of reason and to bury
them according to the manner of infants The
Ordinances Of places shall proceed severely against
those who do not abandon this custom
These resolutions Of the Eminent Fathers. the
Cardinals of this S. Congregations have been APP
proved by Our Most Holy Lord Pope Plus in
an audience given on the seventh day of the cur
rent month, and he has commanded the present de-
cree to be edited and promulgated. He has com
manded all the Ordinaries that the present de-
cree should be made known not only to the pas
tors and the clergy, but also to the people, to whom
1t shall be read yearly at Easter time in the YER
nacular language.
The Ordinaries themselves viii be obliged at
the end Of every five years together win the other
affairs of their diocese) to give an account of the
observance of this decree to the Holy See, to-
gether with the other affairs Of their diocese
Everything else to the contrary notwithstand-
ing.
Given in Rome, ia the residence of Of the same
S. Congregation, the sth day of August, 1910
D. CARD. FFERRATA, Project.
PHI. GIUSTINI, Secretary.