This morning’s bus stop banter included me discussing the fact that we had four children in our parish who made their First Confession this past Saturday (including my son), and that they would be making their First Holy Communion next Sunday.

At least one parent noted that she was happy to hear that a parish put First Confession before First Holy Communion. Now I’ve heard this from several people in the Albany, NY area. At first I thought these were one-off occurrences, but I’m hearing it more and more.

I’ve asked some R.C. friends if that’s what their parish does. Some say yes, others say they never heard of it. Needless to say I was intrigued. Who would invent a system like this?

It appears that the early 1970’s, a time of all kinds of crazy experiments in the R.C. Church, there was such an experiment. It was abrogated in 1973 and again in 1977. Yet it continues in little pockets here and there (consider what you’re experimenting with before you experiment, you may have to live with the results almost 30 years later).

From my personal perspective I agree with much of what Joseph A. Wemhoff says in First confession before First Communion.

As parents, my wife and I are obligated to forming our children both physically and spiritually. Part of that development is having an understanding of personal actions and their consequences. Doing something wrong requires recompense —“ a time out, loosing a privilege, etc. This, along with discussion, is intended to help the child in differentiating right from wrong and in forming a conscience that is aware and self examining. If you are going to receive the most important and precious gift in your life, the body and blood of Jesus, you need to receive with awareness and free from sin (yes, I know a 7 – 8 year old child will, most likely, not have serious sin, but that’s not the point).

Thankfully we do not have this issue in the PNCC and as a matter of fact R.C. parishes shouldn’t have it either. I’ve put together a few links to information on the subject in case you are asked about it or if you are just curious:

A Letter from The Vatican: First Penance, First Communion

Children must receive the sacrament of penance before they receive their first communion, according to a letter sent to the world’s bishops by the Vatican Congregations for the Sacraments and Divine Worship and for the Clergy. In the letter, dated March 31 but released May 19 [1977], the congregations say that in spite of a 1973 declaration on this matter, it is apparent that “dissension and doubts” still exist in some parts of the church regarding the order in which children are to receive these sacraments.

And from Catholic Culture:

After having attentively considered the matter, and keeping in view the wishes of the bishops, the Sacred Congregations for the Discipline of the Sacraments and for the Clergy, by this document do declare, with the approval of the Supreme Pontiff, Paul VI, that experiments of this kind, already carried out for two years, must have an end put to them simultaneously with the closing of the 1972-1973 school year and, for the future, the decree, Quam singulari, must be obeyed everywhere and by all.

Given at Rome, the 24th day of May, 1973.