Children and the Sacraments
Confirmation, Eucharist, and Penance
Archdiocese of Brisbane Sacramental Policy, May 1997

1. Children from about the age of seven years who are not baptised are enrolled in a modified catechumenate and are baptised, confirmed and admitted to eucharist in a single ceremony, usually at the Easter Vigil.

Children after the age of seven who are presented for initiation into the Church will often be accompanied by other members of their family. Special attention should be given to the family unit in these circumstances and all the sacraments of initiation should normally be celebrated for the whole family together. It is not sufficient reason to delay confirmation and first communion simply so that a child may join peers or classmates in a common celebration.

The catechumenal pattern respects the understanding of children once they have reached catechetical age. Those baptised in infancy complete their initiation at the end of infancy and the catechesis necessary to grow into a mature faith follows the reception of the sacraments. Once a child reaches 'catechetical age' however, some catechesis precedes the celebration of Christian initiation.

Children baptised in another Christian Church who come with members of their family to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church can be associated with a modified catechumenate process just as their parents can. They would be confirmed and admitted to eucharist with the other members of their family.

Though the primary discernment of the suitability of initiating an infant into the Catholic Church occurs before baptism, there may sometimes be cases where a prudent pastoral judgement suggests a delay in the completion of Christian initiation for those baptised Catholics in infancy. In such a case also it may be pastorally beneficial to associate the child with a modified catechumenate process until the child is judged ready to complete initiation through confirmation and reception of holy communion.