| Q: People ask such interesting questions and I really appreciate your answers. I’ve been thinking about about the child who was baptized in a protestant church before making her first communion without making a profession of faith and receiving confirmation. https://paulturner.org/first-communion-4/ As presented, the case feels rather dry and off-putting, even if your resolution is liturgically and canonically correct. A little pastoral curiosity could make for a much richer experience for all involved. To me it seems unlikely that this child’s irregular situation is an isolated case of a family of otherwise faithful practicing Catholics. What led them to baptize their child in another tradition? What led them back to the Catholic Church? Were the parents married in the Church, or is their marriage irregular? Are there other family members need to be invited to enter there full communion of the Catholic Church? I ask these questions because it is more likely that this child’s faith journey will continue if the whole family is involved with her. Perhaps this “little child will lead them.” == A: Beautifully said. Thanks for this. These situations are complicated. And you’re right, sometimes giving the correct answer doesn’t really explore what is going on. |