Policy at St Andrew’s, Fulham Fields, for the reception of Communion before Confirmation
1. The centrality and importance of the Mass
At St Andrew’s the celebration of the Mass is a central part of how we understand who we are as a community and how God is at work amongst us. Holy Communion is the principal sacramental means by which the Christian community is formed and through which we come into God’s presence.
2. First Communion
The reception of communion for the first time is therefore a very special occasion which should be marked by the whole community and should be prepared for by the new communicant with the guidance of the parish priest and the prayers and support of the congregation.
3. The place of Confirmation
The established pattern for reception of communion within the Church of England, and in the policies of the Diocese of London, is that it should normally be preceded by Confirmation. The diocesan policy states that ‘since communion before confirmation is a departure from our inherited norm it requires special permission. The agreement of the Area Bishop is required before a parish introduces the practice of admitting baptized persons to communion before confirmation.’
4. Children
Although the action of the Mass is mysterious and not open to an exclusively rational explanation the members of the PCC, in discussing the possibility of children receiving communion, felt that there was a stage of development below which it would be difficult for a child to receive adequate preparation to move towards an understanding of what is happening in the Mass. This stage would vary between different children but it would be rare for a child younger than 7 to be ready to receive a course of preparation. Therefore, in most cases, first communion might occur at age 7 or above, with confirmation following at a later age, perhaps 12 or 13.
5. Policy
It is the policy at St Andrew’s that all those who are to receive communion for the first time should be prepared carefully in advance. At the discretion of the parish priest, this preparation would be unlikely to be offered below the age of 7. All who are not confirmed would be encouraged to take that step and the youngest age for this, again with the discretion of the parish priest, is likely to be around 12 or 13. In giving this guidance the priest and PCC wish to stress that the ages recorded here are only a guide.