Children to be received into Catholic faith

Savvy_Sue

honey06 wrote: »

One thing you will discover is that all Catholics have a sunday obligation- it means you are obliged to attend Mass every Sunday & holy day of obligation (though confusingly these days, this begins Saturday evening, so there is usually a mass on saturday evening which covers your sunday obligation) so your children will still have to attend Mass even if they attend a service at CofE church with you.

Is this still strictly observed? I know when my mum was first a Guide Captain, any RC Guides HAD to be taken to mass on Sunday when they were camping. By the time she left, this happened less and less, many parents agreed that their daughters could attend church with the rest of the company and this would be enough.

Plus, if all catholics were in church every Sunday we'd need a few more buildings, wouldn't we?

WolfSong2000

This is a fascinating thread, I must say...I'm agnostic (managed to get myself kicked out of local sunday school when I was 6 and parents stopped going to church shortly after that), but did RS at A-Level and still get the odd tidbit at Uni (history student)...Baptism was one thing that came up recently...apparently the word is more or less "made-up", used to explain the ritual...technically baptism should involve being fully submerged, but this changed in the early medieval period (if not earlier) especially with infants, because of the risks involved...therefore sprinkling a little water on the head isn't technically a full "baptism" (think the orthodox church still practices full submergence?). Anyhow, it's complicated and I'm not explaining it all that well, but if anyone's overly fascinated I'm sure some research will clarify the idea.

I'll fully admit to having limited knowledge of Catholicism...my old RS teacher was a Baptist Minister, so totally different ideology. From the little research I've done, I have become aware of the amount of ritual within Catholicism, and as others have pointed out, the terminology can be a little confusing. I'd definitely do some research before allowing your children to be fully admitted to the Catholic Church, though...

Having said that, my parents were very good with me - didn't have me christened and decided to let me make up my own mind. My school did try and force me to take communion, and I had a struggle to get out of that, but managed eventually. I guess I don't see why children have to be fully indoctrinated into a particular church/religion at such a young age...if parents attend church, then fair enough, let the kids come along, but I wouldn't force them to do any more than this until/if they feel ready. People should go to God of their own volition, not be ushered into it by the church or parents...I know being an agnostic, it may seem like I'm against Christianity, but I'm not really...well, to an extent, but only personally. If people make a conscious decision to believe in God, I fully support them. I've just seen so many kinds (and adults) who have been forced to go to Church and have not appreciated it.

never_enough

My mother was C of E & father RC. They had to agree to me being brought up as a RC but my mother did take me to her church regularly. It never caused any real problem, although I always felt a little out of place at services with her. After my first communion I would just stay in my seat when she went up for the bread & wine (she did the same in my church).

PolishBigSpender

bonty44 wrote: »

Ooops, I think this crossed posts.

What would my children have to confess about? This is the bit I have trouble understanding; they are only 5 and 7, I should hope that they wouldn't need to confess anything at all at at that age!!!

You normally go to the First Communion at the age of 8, so preparation starts a year before. Younger kids are not considered mature enough to understand the meaning of it all.
They have to confess before their Communion. At this age it's usually "I argued with my brother" or "I didn't listen to my mum" types of sins

PolishBigSpender

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Is this still strictly observed? I know when my mum was first a Guide Captain, any RC Guides HAD to be taken to mass on Sunday when they were camping. By the time she left, this happened less and less, many parents agreed that their daughters could attend church with the rest of the company and this would be enough.

Plus, if all catholics were in church every Sunday we'd need a few more buildings, wouldn't we?

It's not observed by many Catholics, but it is still one of our duties and one of the things we should confess about. Many people I know do go every Sunday and the churches are full every week.

snowmaid

WolfSong2000 wrote: »

This is a fascinating thread, I must say...I'm agnostic (managed to get myself kicked out of local sunday school when I was 6 and parents stopped going to church shortly after that), but did RS at A-Level and still get the odd tidbit at Uni (history student)...Baptism was one thing that came up recently...apparently the word is more or less "made-up", used to explain the ritual...technically baptism should involve being fully submerged, but this changed in the early medieval period (if not earlier) especially with infants, because of the risks involved...therefore sprinkling a little water on the head isn't technically a full "baptism" (think the orthodox church still practices full submergence?). Anyhow, it's complicated and I'm not explaining it all that well, but if anyone's overly fascinated I'm sure some research will clarify the idea.

I'll fully admit to having limited knowledge of Catholicism...my old RS teacher was a Baptist Minister, so totally different ideology. From the little research I've done, I have become aware of the amount of ritual within Catholicism, and as others have pointed out, the terminology can be a little confusing. I'd definitely do some research before allowing your children to be fully admitted to the Catholic Church, though...

Having said that, my parents were very good with me - didn't have me christened and decided to let me make up my own mind. My school did try and force me to take communion, and I had a struggle to get out of that, but managed eventually. I guess I don't see why children have to be fully indoctrinated into a particular church/religion at such a young age...if parents attend church, then fair enough, let the kids come along, but I wouldn't force them to do any more than this until/if they feel ready. People should go to God of their own volition, not be ushered into it by the church or parents...I know being an agnostic, it may seem like I'm against Christianity, but I'm not really...well, to an extent, but only personally. If people make a conscious decision to believe in God, I fully support them. I've just seen so many kinds (and adults) who have been forced to go to Church and have not appreciated it.

I was born into a Catholic home and christened, had my first confession and communion. I never stayed with Catholicism as I never felt it 'right' for me. I was baptised as an adult by full emersion in the Church I belong to now. Children are Blessed as babies, rather than baptised and and my children took the decision to be baptised at the age of 8 - the usual age when children are baptised. It is not a quick process and children are 'interviewed' before being baptised.

Thing is, 'informing' your child re God etc and teaching them the Bible, will always be viewed as 'indoctrinating' rather than informing them. Yet not informing or teaching them does not give them a balanced outlook either.

snowmaid

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

You normally go to the First Communion at the age of 8, so preparation starts a year before. Younger kids are not considered mature enough to understand the meaning of it all.
They have to confess before their Communion. At this age it's usually "I argued with my brother" or "I didn't listen to my mum" types of sins

I think letting a child confess at this age helps them to recognise sin, ask forgiveness and to repent.

kr15snw

anguk wrote: »

I always find it odd that some people get married in Church, have their children Christened in Church and have their funeral in Church yet never actually attend Church services or follow any faith?

Completely agree on this point! Me and DF have already agreed not to get married into a church, simply because we are not practicing christians. Dont get me wrong I Love church weddings, they are stunning. But when a friend recently got married in a church it felt a bit weird as neither of them had ever been to the church and it was obvious that the religous side meant nothing to them.....

Back to OP I think its a lovely idea for them to be welcomed into both faiths as then you can share things together as a family. Like the others have said speak to the father and Im guessing hell be able to advise

suki1964

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Is this still strictly observed? I know when my mum was first a Guide Captain, any RC Guides HAD to be taken to mass on Sunday when they were camping. By the time she left, this happened less and less, many parents agreed that their daughters could attend church with the rest of the company and this would be enough.

Plus, if all catholics were in church every Sunday we'd need a few more buildings, wouldn't we?

Churches are full here - both Saturday night and Sunday. But then here a bit more then lip service is paid to religion.

See now this is why Im a lapsed Catholic, it felt wrong to me to be picking and choosing what bits of the faith I would abide to.