ON THE SAME SUBJECT

PAUL BRUCHEST. BY THE GRACE op GOD, AND op THE APOSTOLIC SEE, ARCHBISHop OP MoXrREAr.

lo the sccular and reaular clergy, to the

hitues and to all the fuithful

religions comm.

0f owr Divces: Yréelinys, peuce

“nd ble Ssunq in Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The pages of the Gospels Plainly testify to the special love which Christ showed whilst On earth to the little ones, It was His di ivht to be in their midst, He

laid His hands upon them, He em

in, He was indignant w] pulsed by His disciples

raced and blesse the en they and réprimanded the lat

ter in “ing words : “ Suffer th

little children to Come unto

me and forbid them not : For of such is the kingdom of God (1). How highly He prized their innocence and sinplicity of soul He shows when calling a little one He said to His disciples : “ Amen Ï say to you, unless you, be convertel, and become as little children, vou shall not enter into the Kingdom

of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this

pui, cdi

little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven. And he that shall receive one such hitle child in my name, receiveth me (2) ”.

Bearing this in mind the Catholic Church from the bhesinning took care to bring Christ to the little ones through

Eucharistie Communion, which was given even to the

de: sucklings. This, as was preseribed in almost all the ancient Fr rituals till the Lth century was done at baptisim, and th

same custom prevailed for à long time in some places itis still in vosue with the Greeks and Orientals. But to avoidul danger, lest the children should spit out the conseeratui host the custom obtained from the beginning 6f giving the Holr

Eucharist under the species of wine alone.

The infants did not, however, receive Holy Communion only at Baptism, but they frequently afterward: : of the devine repast. For it was the custom in many chine to give Communion to the children inmediately after the clergy, in others to dispense to them the small fragments left over after the Conmunion of the adults.

Later on this custom became obsolete in the Latin ©

neither were children permitted to approach the h

1) Mark x, 13. 16.

(2) Math. xvit, 3, 4

om of sinpli- [to His ed, and incdom us this n. An

hatne

bu eine

before the dawn of the use of reason and before having some

knowledge of the August Sacrament. This new discipline,

already accepted by several particular councils, was solemnly

contirmeld in the IV Lateran Oecumenical Couneil by promulgating the celebrated XXI canon. in which the reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion is prescribed to ail the faithful having arrived at the use of reason in the following words : “ All the faithfal of bot sexes, after com. ing to the use of reason, shall contess al] their sins alone to their proper priest at least once & Year, strive to fultil the en. Joined penance as far as possible, devontls receiving Holy Communion at least at Easter time, unless by the advice of the priest and for Some reasonable cause ie should deem it well to abstain for a while ”

The Council of Trent in no Way disapproving of the ancient discipline of giving Holy Communion to children before they have attained the use of reason, Confirmed the decree of the lateran Couneil und pronounced anathena on those who hold #ontrary opinion, “ IE any one :hall deny that all the faithtal of both sexes, who have attained the use of reason are blired to receive ( ‘ommunion every Year, at least at Eaaster

tie. according to the precepts of Holy Mother: Church, let

be anathema ” (3).

him

Therefore in virtue of the aforesaid decree of the Lateran Conncil still in force, the faithful as soon as they arrive at the Yours of discretion are obliged to receive the Sacraments Ï lenance and Holy Communion at least once a year.

But in establishing the year when children come to tha

XXE, de Commnuione, e

use of reason many errors and deplorable abuses have : pt in in the course of time, There were those who consuiered one age necessary for the sacrament of Penance, another for Holy Eucharist. For the sacrament of Penance they judged that age necessary in which one can distinguish right from wrong, hence can commit sin : for Holy Eucharist, however they require à greater age in which à deeper knowledee of matters Of faith and a better preparation of the soul can le had, And thus, according to the various custoins of places and opinions of men, the age of ten years was fixed for receiving First Holy Communion in some places, in others fourteen years and even more Were required, in the meanwhile forbidding all those children under the required age from receivinc Holy Communion.

This custom by which, under the plen of safeguardins the August Sacrament, the faithful were kept away from the same, was the cause of many evils. It happened that the innocence of childhood torn away from the embraces of Christ, was deprived of the sap of interior life ; from which it also followed that youth destitute of this strong help, surrounded by so many snares, having lost its candor, fell into vice before ever tasting of the sacred mysteries. Even though a more thorough preparation and an accurate sacramental confession should precede First Holy Communion, which does not huppen everywhere, yet the loss of tirst innocence is always to be deplored and might have been avoided by receiving the Holy Eucharist in more tender years.

Not less is the custom, which exists in many places, to | condemned, according to which children are not nllowed to

receive the Sacrament of Penance before t! are adinitted

; pt sidered el for judged L from IWever due of un be ces and eiving

urteen

1œ Li nn the hat the

ces of

tiental +1 does nec 18

” recel-

ved to imitted

to Communion, or else absolution is not given to them : thns

it happens that burdened perhaps

With mortal sins they remain a Jong time in great danger,

But the worst Of all is that. in some places children not yet

admitted to First Holy Communion tre not permitted to

receive the Sacred Viatieum, even when in danger of death, and thus, dying and being buried ns infants, they are not helped by: the Prayers of the Church.

Such injury is caused by those who insist

MTS preparation for First Holy

ON An eXtraordi-

Communion, more than is reasonalble, not realizing that this kind of]

récantion proceeds

from the errors of the Jansenists, Who maintain that Holy

Eucharist is a reward not a remedy for human frailty. The

Council of Trent holds a différent opinion When it tenches

We are freed from daily faults and Preserved from mortal sins ”

that it is “ an antidote by which

(D, which doctrine has lately been inculcated by a decree give

n on the 26th day of December 1905, in which 4

aily approach to Communion is

opened to all both old ani Young, two conditions only being

required, the state of grace and a right intention. Neither

does it ppear reasonable that w hilst formerly even sucklings

réceived the remnant of the sacred particles, at present an

fXtraordinary preparation should be required from the chil-

dren, who are in the happy state of innocence and candor,

and greatly need this heavenly food on account of the many

mptations and dangers of our times, ‘abuses which we condemn may be traced to the fart

ose Who demand a Certuin age for Penance and another

ss, XIII, de Eucharistia, CAATE

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