Vatican official: Children's first Communion can help whole parish

Published: 2005-01-25

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Children's innocence, openness and ability to be awed mean that, when properly prepared, their first Communion can be a moment when the whole parish witnesses how great a gift the Eucharist is, said Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos. As soon as children are able to recognize the difference between regular bread and a consecrated host, preparations for their first Communion should begin, said the cardinal, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy. In a letter posted Jan. 22 in Spanish, Italian and German on the congregation's Web site -- www.clerus.org -- the cardinal urged priests, in consultation with their bishops, to ensure that children in their parish are able to receive their first Communion when they reach "the age of reason," generally agreed to be 7 years of age. In many countries, while Communion preparation classes accept 7-year-olds, many of the children do not receive their first Communion until they are 8 or 9.

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