Children to receive Holy
Communion
At the very beginning of the Catholic
Church, children were welcomed to the Eucharistic table and allowed to share in
the reception of Holy Communion. It was common practice to give infants their
First Communion along with the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.
However, over time, the Roman Catholic Church
separated the three sacraments of initiation, administering them at different
times in a person’s life. Most Eastern Churches, meanwhile, maintained the
earlier tradition of allowing infants to receive the Eucharist.
By the early 20th century, emphasizing a desire
that those who receive Communion “understand” at least as much as humanly
possible the great mystery of the Transfiguration, and Jesus’ transformation of
the bread into his body and blood, the Church reserved Communion
for teenagers and adults. Younger children were generally banned from
approaching the altar.
In 1910, Pope St. Pius X changed that, with his
decree Quam Singulari, which decrees that children who have reached
the “age of reason” (around seven years old) are permitted to receive the
Eucharist.
Pius X explained why he
lowered the age, pointing to the Gospel and how Jesus
wished to embrace all children.
The pages of the Gospel show clearly how special
was that love for children which Christ showed while He was on earth. It was
His delight to be in their midst … He embraced them; and He blessed them. At
the same time He was not pleased when they would be driven away by the
disciples, whom He rebuked gravely with these words: “Let the little children
come to me, and do not hinder them, for of such is the kingdom of God.”
It is clearly seen how
highly He held their innocence and the open simplicity of their souls on that occasion when He called a little
child to Him and said to the disciples: “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn
and become like little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven
… And whoever receives one such little child for my sake, receives me.”
Reinforcing the reality of the children’s innocence
and closeness to God, Pius X wrote, “the fact that in ancient times the
remaining particles of the Sacred Species were even given to nursing infants
seems to indicate that no extraordinary preparation should now be demanded of
children who are in the happy
state of innocence and purity of soul, and who, amidst so many dangers
and seductions of the present time have
a special need of this heavenly food.”
Pope St. John further added that he hoped by lowering the age
of First Communion it would “bring about that children even from their tender years may be united to Jesus Christ,
may live His life, and obtain protection
from all danger of corruption.”
Children have a special place in the heart of Jesus
Christ and model for us how to have a pure trust in our Heavenly Father. In a
certain sense, children are already united to God when they are little. They
have not been corrupted by the world and do not know the temptations of sin. It
was Pius X’s hope that by allowing little children to receive Holy Communion,
they would maintain that baptismal innocence into their adult lives and stay
close to Jesus.
Thus his desire to give them the chance to receive
Holy Communion as often as they could, keeping them united to Jesus, who would
hold them tight to his heart.
