Children to be received into Catholic faith

bonty44

KellyWelly wrote: »

Well it's the "sacrament of reconcilliation", for children they probably go in and say 'I didn't tidy my room and I called my sister a pig' or something like that. They don't get rebuked and to be honest in my experience confession is more like counselling. The priest just listens and if appropriate gives advice. For kids it's more getting into the habit and not being excluded from the life and family of the church, I think.

If they are in Catholic school you don't need to worry about it at all - the school will do the preparation classes with the children who are going to do their First Holy Communion in Y3.

That's put my mind at rest Kelly Welly, I didn't want my chidlren thinking they'd been really bad or something!

Newly_retired

My GD has just been to her first confession, prior to making her first communion in a few weeks' time. She is 7. This seems to be the norm in RC church.
CofE would welcome you and your children, and in most CofE churches Christians of any recognised church can take communion. It is the RC church that does not officially allow inter-communion, though I know several RCs who do.

anguk

I was christened a Catholic, my mother was Catholic & my father CofE but as my mother died when I was very young I went to a Methodist Sunday School and was confirmed in a CofE Church!. Whenever I've been to a Catholic Church I haven't been able to take Holy Communion there because I was confirmed in CofE. I remember finding it very confusing when I was young!

KellyWelly

suki1964 wrote: »

Ah well, thats the Catholic faith for you - we are all born of sin

Actually, I am Orthodox since my marriage (though baptised and brought up Catholic). Orthodox teaching is we are all born free of original sin and free of original guilt but we still have confession. It's nothing like people think, I reckon. It's more like a relationship with a parent or a counsellor. I have never felt judged or told off ever and people forget priests know it all and have heard it all before. I can't imagine who else could be more experienced and qualified to help, frankly. Although maybe single Catholic priests aren't the best for relationship advice - but then Orthodox priests are married unless they're monks.

bonty44

Right, I'm going to sound really thick now, but I thought Orthodox was to do with the Greek religion; is that a branch of catholicism??

suki1964

Mine was a flippant off the cuff remark btw.Sorry if I caused offence to anyone - was a joke .Im a lapsed Catholic myself, my experience of the Catholic faith hasnt been the best

Marcheline

Hi, kellywelly's given you some good advice there. One more thing but I'm not sure whether you think it's relevant: Catholics believe in transubstantiation (the bread and wine actually becomes the body and blood of Christ), C of E believe in consubstantiation (that the bread and wine is symbolic of the body and blood of Christ) Although we believe in the same God ultimately, there are subtle differences that it might be worth getting your head round!

bonty44

Suki1964, would you mind telling us why? I don't want my children to feel permanently guilty OR to feel that they can pass judgement on others. Just something that a few of my friends have said to me. I would really like to support OH on his faith journey but want to know EXACTLY what it's going to involve for my children.

bonty44

Thanks Marcheline.
So how does transubstantiation present itself? What does that mean for my children? Does it mean that I totally disregard the beautiful Christening days which they both enjoyed and that the Catholic church does not recognise them? Does that mean that the Catholic religion does not recognise any other faith?

KellyWelly

No, it's not Catholic, we are Greek Orthodox, but Orthodoxy isn't just Greek. It is very very similar to Catholicism though in practise and theology with a few small but important differences.

The Eastern (Orthodox) and Roman (Catholic) churches split in the Great Schism in 1054 over a few things but ultimately when the Pope tried to force all the other patriarchs of the church to make him the 'supreme ruler' instead of 'first among equals' as it had been for the previous 1000+ years since Jesus. The Orthodox Church is the second largest Christian group behind Catholicism and has something like 225 million members worldwide.

Wikipedia explains it all quite well.