Msgr. Domenico IorioIn 1928, eighteen years after the Decree “Quam singulari” was issued, during the pontificate of His Holiness Pius XI, Cardinal Jorio, the Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, went back to the question of what age First Communion should be given to children with a clear analysis in order to remove any other obstacle preventing the implementation of the Decree itself («The Decree «Quam singulari» on the age at which children are to be admitted to First Communion» with an introductory Letter by His Eminence Card. Pietro Gasparri Secretary of State of His Holiness Pius XI. Brief Comment by Msgr. Domenico Jorio Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments. Rome, F. Pustet Editore Pontificio, 1928).
The introductory letter written by Card. Gasparri, Secretary of State of His Holiness Pius XI, is evidence of the interest the successors of St. Pius X continued to have in the subject and also bears witness to the opposition which the Decree met: «How difficult it is to uproot the abuses! The Decree corrected doctrines and improved the procedure, but so far no one has been able to unify it everywhere to the ordinances of the Decree. Therefore, we need an authoritative voice like the Secretary of the Holy Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, which may instil the observance of the Decree, removing doubts and difficulties, which the devil is arousing».
The same Pope Pius XI, sending His Excellency Cardinal Baggiani as his representative at the National Eucharistic Congress in Bologna in 1927, «expressed his regret that the Decree on the First Communion of children wasn’t fully observed everywhere yet: and at the same time he authorized him to declare, in the above Congress, that it was his firm intention and will to let this Decree take full effect.»

We cite a few passages of the «Commentary».

 

(…) Historical and doctrinal reasons for the Decree

1. – It is known that, since the early days of the Church, Communion, both in the East and in the West, was also given to babies, immediately after Baptism, first under the two species, then only under the species of wine, and this in light of the theological principle that the sacraments of the living increase the grace produced from the work performed (ex opere operato) in those who receive them effectively and do not place obstacles in its way, like babies, after Baptism and before the use of reason. (…)

2. –In the Western Church (…) some doctors arbitrarily taught that a more perfect and developed discretion was needed for First Communion, as would be claimed today, which the child does not possess at the age of seven, but much later. In this way, the doctrine of these theologians spread and the abuse of postponing the First Communion of children to a more mature age (from ten to twelve and even fourteen) was introduced in the Church with the excuse that the child, before this age, couldn’t have the necessary preparatory instruction. (…)

4. – Moreover, we must confess that many authoritative doctors and theologians, such as St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Anthony Vasquez and Ledesma cited in the Decree and others, acknowledged the true meaning of the IV Lateran Council Canon, and they rightly taught that children were under an obligation to receive Confession and Communion when they were able, by such a use of reason, to sin. (…)

5. – (…) In the Decree «Quam singulari», Pius X dissipated the arbitrary interpretations and above all the absurdity of certain theologians with regard to the cited canon of the IV Lateran Council, and ordained the observance of the same canon in its true meaning, clearly pointing out the age and the required preparatory instruction so that the child could and should be admitted to the Eucharistic Table.

6. - It is not our intention to raise an issue about the significance of this Decree, but it is certain that through it Pius X intended to speak and spoke about doctrinal and disciplinary matters as teacher of the universal Church. We point out that, with this Decree, there has been a revolution – let the word spread – in the discipline which for an inveterate use, or rather abuse, had been introduced into the Church regarding the First Communion of children.

7. - In fact, up until Pius X, the entire catechism was taught to children in preparation for First Communion; instead Pius X establishes First Communion at the beginning of the use of reason, and therefore demands that children possess that minimum of elementary instruction which we will discuss later on, thus making First Communion a preparation for the entire catechism, that is, for the intellectual and moral formation of Christian life. There is no doubt that Eucharistic Communion can help this formation and that catechetic instruction pours forth light into children’s souls, who after First Communion will continue, in accordance with the Decree, to approach the Holy Table.

8. – (…) No one can deny that in modern society the development of reason in children is much more precocious than in the past. Having said that, parents, headmasters of boarding schools and nursery schools must be convinced that religious education and today’s Christian pedagogy must make Communion its foundation. If Christian life isn’t developed in children as soon as possible by allowing them to take part in the divine grace of the Eucharistic Sacrament, we risk losing them completely. Therefore, it’s not a futile matter of one year more or one year less, but of the fate of the whole Christian education of future generations. At the age of eight, and worse at the age of ten and twelve, it is already too late to prevent the ruinous example of the family and social environment from destroying all religious and moral sentiments in youth. Now that there is so much care for the physical education of children, Bishops, pastors, parents and all those who care for the future of youth must look after their spiritual education with the same zeal. (…)

Precepts of the Decree

(…) 14. –The decree «Quam singulari» gave the exact meaning of the expression «age of discretion – use of reason». In fact, it repeats the doctrine of the Lateran Council and the Council of Trent by interpreting it authentically and clearly in order to preclude any possibility of false and arbitrary interpretations. (…)

15. – The interpretation is authentic, but as mentioned earlier, it is not new, since it was given in the thirteenth century by St. Thomas Aquinas who writes: «When children begin to have some (aliqualem) use of reason so that they can conceive a devotion toward this Sacrament, then this Sacrament can be given to them» . What do the words ‘start to have some (aliqualem) use of reason’ mean, if not the dawning of the use of reason? (…)

17. – Cardinal Gennari writes : «Today the use of reason in little children is very precocious: everyone knows it. Little children of just three or four years old, maximum five, can reason very well, and they can distinguish normal bread from the Eucharistic Bread very well. It is said that reason is usually manifested at the age of seven. This may be true for some, but in many this takes place very earlier, and only on rare occasions after the age of seven. Therefore this is the age of discretion, suitable to receive the holy Eucharist».

18. – Those who have some experience with children, especially in the city, will totally agree with the learned Cardinal’s words, especially today, since it is easy to find little children who are able to distinguish persons and things, who ask why, that is, the reasons for things, who tell about what has happened to them, who express their desires quite well, who admit their mistakes and also ask forgiveness for them. What more is needed to admit that they have attained the use of reason and, therefore, acknowledge the obligation to fulfil, prior to the established instruction, the precept of Communion, which they not only have knowledge about, but which they also have a great desire for?

19. – And note the phrase used in the text: «The child begins to reason», it doesn’t say: reasons completely; the beginning of the use of reason is sufficient: as if we said: at dawn, at sunrise, in the morning, that is, at the beginning of the day, more or less, we must not intend «midday», that is, at high noon. (…)

25. – There is yet another objection: the laws of the Church, as established in can. 12 of the Canon Law, do not oblige the faithful before they turn seven years old. Therefore neither does the law of Communion at Easter time.
Our answer: The same Canon Law in the cited canon, which the main formulated principle is taken from, makes this reservation: «unless the law is not expressly laid down in other ways» such a reservation is made expressly for the obligation of Communion; that is, it is ordained that the above obligation applies to children under the age of seven, if they have just begun to use reason and have the necessary instruction, according to their ability. (…)

What instruction the child must have so that he could and should be admitted to his First Communion. (Decr. Nos. II and III)

(…) 27. – Here, therefore, is what the Church demands from children at the dawning of the use of reason in order to be admitted to their First Communion: the notion of God the creator, who rewards the good and punishes the wicked; the mystery of the unity and trinity of God; the mystery of the incarnation and death of our Saviour; the distinction between the Eucharistic Bread and material bread; and all that their intelligence allows them.

28. – And the Church, very wisely, only demands this; (…) because if children of the above age had to learn the ordinary catechism, the goal established by the Church would remain thwarted. It would take them one or two years to learn this catechism and therefore the serious obligation of Communion would have to be postponed by one or two years to the detriment of the law, whose non-observance involves mortal sin. (…)

Whose duty is the precept of Confession and Communion concerning children and whose right it is to admit them to their First Communion. (Decr. No. IV)

(…) 44. – Many parents, especially mothers, who the fathers usually leave such care to, are convinced that postponing the First Communion of their child even by a year, besides the serious non-observance of the law, involves a great danger, that is, that their child, given the very sad times in which we live, the incitement to evil, and the precocious development of the intellect, as we have said before, may lose the greatest gift of God, namely innocence, and that Satan may enter into his heart before Jesus Christ. We must meditate on St. John Chrysostom’s opinion: «Once children are conquered by malice, almost reduced to slavery, they go wherever the devil wants them to».

45. – It’s sad to say, but if children who receive their First Communion at the age of ten, nine and eight don’t confess their sins to a discerning, experienced and wise confessor, they will receive Communion sacrilegiously because they don’t mention all their sins because they are ashamed, which is explainable at this weak and timid age!

46. – But my child doesn’t understand,  the mother tells us. This is our answer to her: It’s no wonder the child doesn’t understand the mysteries of the Unity and Trinity of God, of the Incarnation and of the Eucharist, because you don’t understand them, we don’t understand them and the Pope does not understand them! The mysteries are supernatural truths, and are to be believed on the infallible word of God, who revealed them to us, and if we could understand them, they wouldn’t be mysteries anymore. But if you wait a year or two, will your child understand? Never again! Faith and innocence suffice! And let that mother keep in mind that, by her obstinacy in not allowing First Communion to her child, if an unswerving ignorance doesn’t pardon her, no confessor can absolve her.

47. – In these matters, for heaven’s sake, we don’t have to be, as the saying goes, more Catholic than the Pope, although in our times there are some people who think they are greater than the Pope! The Church wants to give children the Eucharist when they attain the use of reason: what is wrong with that?

48. – But my son is naughty! (…) The Eucharist is not only food that makes us grow, restores us, delights us and repairs our faults, but it is also the antidote which frees us from daily sins and preserves us from mortal sins, as the Council of Trent teaches. Is your son naughty? Let him confess his sins well, make his First Communion well and then continue to receive Communion well, at least on Sundays and on feast days of obligation, as it is the responsibility of parents and teachers, and you will see that he will become good, obedient, respectful and devoted. There is no remedy more effective and more infallible than Holy Communion to fight against the so-called precocious delinquency of youth. This is the perceptible and irrefutable evidence of the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

49. – Children are inconstant! «Yes, replies Msgr. De Segur, but they are good and affectionate and we must give them the true food in exchange for their need for love. We must make them love Jesus Christ, and thus we must create in them an intimate relationship with Him. Their defects, as much as they are real, don’t have much foundation, and piety will prevent them from becoming bad habits». Let certain mothers ponder these words well, especially when it comes to little girls, and try hard to give them Jesus Christ, the true food of their hearts, in time, instead of fostering vanity in them with immodest fashions and amusements in which their innocence is at risk! (…)

53. – For the sake of brevity we will leave out other futile objections; we only point out that the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, at the numerous objections that arose regarding this Decree, always responded by not taking them into account, that is: Ponatur in archivio, and the reason lies in the evidence of the decree’s precepts, which doesn’t allow objections. (…)

Conclusion – The Holy Father Pius XI and observance of the Decree

77. – At the conclusion of our humble work we would like to quote the august philosophy of the Holiness of Our Lord Pope Pius XI on the First Communion of children. To our knowledge, His Holiness, sending His Excellency Cardinal Baggiani as his representative at the National Eucharistic Congress in Bologna last year, expressed his regret that the Decree on the First Communion of children wasn’t fully observed everywhere yet: and at the same time he authorized him to declare, in the above Congress, that it was his firm intention and will to let this Decree take full effect. (…)

79. – Lastly His Holiness deigned to make a brilliant commentary on the Decree, by giving, on July 19 of this year 1928 with his holy and august Hands, in the Vatican Basilica, in the presence of the ten thousand participants at the congress of U.F.C.I., three six-year-old girls their First and unforgettable Communion! A magnificent commentary and a solemn and authoritative warning to the shepherds of souls, to parents and to those who are responsible for First Communions!

80. – (…) We are certain that the Holy Father would appreciate it if the Bishops, pastors and parents concentrated their efforts for the purpose of giving full effect to Pius X’s Decree in the imminent jubilee year by admitting all children, who have attained the use of reason and have been sufficiently instructed, to First Communion which is to be offered to God for the preservation of His Holiness and according to his intentions! (…) We work united for this noble, holy and most urgent intention and we will not only have given glory to God and given a worthy homage to his Vicar on earth, but we will also have merited the salvation of the most beautiful and dearest promises of the Church, of the family and of our Homeland.

 

Summa theol. P.III, q.80, art.9 ad 6.

Op. «Sobre la edad de la primera Comunión de los niños».

Hom. 19 en Gen.

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