what needs to be done

tonyheaney

Any way my family are Roman Catholics and i am on my birth cert it says i am too. I was christened and confirmed the whole shebang. The thing is this: I don’t practice and i don’t believe. I’d really like to i feel it could give me direction in my life having something to believe in but i can’t and i don’t. I don’t want any preachers here just want some information.

My wife is Chinese and I am Irish and today we were invited to her friend’s First Holy Communion and seeing it she wants our children to be a part of the festivities when there time comes. What do we have to do? Also our children one is three and the other is not yet born are both not christened.

What do we need to do so they can have their First Holy Communion?
Do they need to be christened?
Do we both need to be practicing Roman Catholics?
can they have there First Holy Communion if there are not christened?

Quo Vadis

tonyheaney wrote: »

Any way my family are Roman Catholics and i am on my birth cert it says i am too. I was christened and confirmed the whole shebang. The thing is this: I don’t practice and i don’t believe. I’d really like to i feel it could give me direction in my life having something to believe in but i can’t and i don’t. I don’t want any preachers here just want some information.

My wife is Chinese and I am Irish and today we were invited to her friend’s First Holy Communion and seeing it she wants our children to be a part of the festivities when there time comes. What do we have to do? Also our children one is three and the other is not yet born are both not christened.

What do we need to do so they can have their First Holy Communion?
Do they need to be christened?
Do we both need to be practicing Roman Catholics?
can they have there First Holy Communion if there are not christened?

(I take it for granted this post is not really about "festivities" and you appreciate thats not what first communion is about etc.)

First and foremost you should really have a chat with an approachable local Priest, for further advice. ( Your friend could perhaps recommend one ). He would be best placed to give you the advice you need. If you were willing to undertake to raise the children as Catholics until they are old enough to decide for themselves, I'm sure he could arrange a baptism for both your children if you sincerely wished it, and later if you enroll them in a Catholic school they will receive the catechism they need and can make their first communion with the rest of the class.

Best wishes to you and your family and God Bless.

tonyheaney

Quo Vadis wrote: »

First you should have a chat with an approachable local Priest, for further advice. ( Your friend could perhaps recommend one ). I'm sure he could arrange a baptism for both your children if you sincerely wished it, and later if you enroll them in a Catholic school they can make their first communion with the rest of the class.

Best wishes to you and your family and God Bless.

Hi thats for the info, also my wife is Chinese (im irish) and she does not believe in any of it but wants our children to have a choice. is it still possible?

MagicMarker

tonyheaney wrote: »

Hi thats for the info, also my wife is Chinese (im irish) and she does not believe in any of it but wants our children to have a choice. is it still possible?

If you want your children to have a choice then don't do anything, let them make their own choice when they're older. What you're talking about is the opposite of giving them a choice.

GarIT

tonyheaney wrote: »

Any way my family are Roman Catholics and i am on my birth cert it says i am too. I was christened and confirmed the whole shebang. The thing is this: I don’t practice and i don’t believe. I’d really like to i feel it could give me direction in my life having something to believe in but i can’t and i don’t. I don’t want any preachers here just want some information.

My wife is Chinese and I am Irish and today we were invited to her friend’s First Holy Communion and seeing it she wants our children to be a part of the festivities when there time comes. What do we have to do? Also our children one is three and the other is not yet born are both not christened.

What do we need to do so they can have their First Holy Communion?
Do they need to be christened?
Do we both need to be practicing Roman Catholics?
can they have there First Holy Communion if there are not christened?

I hate my parents for doing what they did to me by having me baptised, it is an irreversible process and cannot be undone. You really should wait till they are 16+ to let them have a choice of weather they want to do it or not. AFAIK you don't have to do anything, if the kids are baptised they can do it. Usually they would have to be in Catholic school or there wouldn't be any "festivities" you would be doing it yourself privately.

tenchi-fan

GarIT wrote: »

I hate my parents for doing what they did to me by having me baptised, it is an irreversible process and cannot be undone.

I don't mean to blaspheme, but there was an episode of american dad where stan said he uses a supersoaker to baptise the kids of a jewish school. Actually, that's all it would take to baptise someone. If a kid in your class at school threw water of you and said "I baptise you .... etc etc" you would be irrevocably baptised. And if you ever did it to someone, they would also have been baptised. Nurses in hospitals used to baptise premature babies that were unlikely to live until a priest arrived.

Sacraments are funny, aren't they? Do you know the sacrament of marriage is only witnessed by a priest, but is actually solely between a man, woman and God? The only sacraments that can only be performed by a priest are the anointing of the sick and penance.

Sooo, get over it. No point in hating your parents for asking a priest to perform an act that has no significance for you but a lot of significance for them -who thought they were doing what's best for you. You just come across as angry and ungrateful.

tenchi-fan

tonyheaney wrote: »

What do we need to do so they can have their First Holy Communion?
Do they need to be christened?
Do we both need to be practicing Roman Catholics?
can they have there First Holy Communion if there are not christened?

The child cannot make their communion without first being Baptised.

First things first, Baptism (Christening).

Infants are baptised as soon as possible after they are born, preferable weeks rather than months. Baptism washes their soul free of original sin. You need to be baptised before you can receive other sacraments, including Communion.

Infants do not need to be practising Catholics before they are baptised. The child's parents do not need to be Catholics either.

However, you must nominate 1 or 2 godparents, or 1 godparent and a witness. (either one man, one woman, or a man and a woman). These people will be responsible to ensure your children receive a catholic upbringing.

The godparents must be practising Catholics, however the Christian witness can be any non-Catholic Christian (Protestant, Orthodox). Neither the godparent nor the christian witness can be the child's parent.

The rules are different for adult baptism.

ConfessionBefore the child makes their first communion, they must make their first confession. This is when they confess their sins to the priest.

Communion

In school, at age 7 or 8, the child will be schooled in what Holy Communion is all about.

In case you don't know, it's the part of the mass where the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ.

If the child understands the significance of this they may receive their first holy communion.

Confirmation
Confirmation is when the child is anointed by the Bishop and confirms their baptismal promises. In Ireland children are usually confirmed when they are around 12 years of age.

The three other sacraments are:
Sacrament of the sick: Sick people are anointed by a priest before they die.
Sacrament of marriage: I think you know what this one is.
and Holy Orders (For men who become deacons, priests and bishops)

JimiTime

GarIT wrote: »

I hate my parents for doing what they did to me by having me baptised,

Think of how repulsive it is to hate your parents. Through who your life was granted. Those people who loved you, cared for you, wiped your @ss, fed you, had sleepless nights on account of you, and most likely had you baptised with the good intentions that they thought it was best for you. You are probably typing that in the house they are still providing for you, and on a computer with broadband that they fund.

All in all, don't take your parents for granted, or be hateful about them, nothing good will ever come of such feelings.

Asry

tenchi-fan wrote: »

Nurses in hospitals used to baptise premature babies that were unlikely to live until a priest arrived.

That's what happened to me!

GarIT

JimiTime wrote: »

Think of how repulsive it is to hate your parents. Through who your life was granted. Those people who loved you, cared for you, wiped your @ss, fed you, had sleepless nights on account of you, and most likely had you baptised with the good intentions that they thought it was best for you. You are probably typing that in the house they are still providing for you, and on a computer with broadband that they fund.

All in all, don't take your parents for granted, or be hateful about them, nothing good will ever come of such feelings.

They signed me up to an organisation that has had more convicted paedophiles than any other legal and official organisation in the world. It is also impossible to leave the organisation, they are refusing to let anybody leave the organisation for any reason. How could you not hate your parents for that? Especially when they said they knew religion was all lies at the time they just did it so I wouldn't feel left out. :mad:

GarIT

GarIT wrote: »

They signed me up to an organisation that has had more convicted paedophiles than any other legal and official organisation in the world. It is also impossible to leave the organisation, they are refusing to let anybody leave the organisation for any reason. How could you not hate your parents for that? Especially when they said they knew religion was all lies at the time they just did it so I wouldn't feel left out. :mad:

You're blowing it out of proportion, to be honest.

You haven't really been signed up to any organisation. The Church keeps a record of your baptism, that's it. It's a historical event, so they've a right to keep a record of it.

It annoys me as much as anybody else that they've removed the right for a person to defect.

But, does it really mean that much to you? The very act of you expressing the above opinions mean you're no longer in communion with the Church. If you don't believe then you're no longer an actual member. Who cares if they keep a record of a historic event?

Hating your parents for getting you baptised is a little immature. They were merely doing what they thought best. The best thing you can do is to get over it, as it really doesn't mean all that much.

JimiTime

GarIT wrote: »

They signed me up to an organisation that has had more convicted paedophiles than any other legal and official organisation in the world.

And what does that actually mean? What effect is that having on your life? The fact that your name is in some big registry, what tangible effect is it having on your life?

It is also impossible to leave the organisation

Again what does this entail? This whole 'you cant leave' thing is the equivalent of Ronaldo leaving Man Utd for Real Madrid, but Man Utd stating that 'No, you're still part of Man Utd'. In reality, Ronaldo has no more ties with Man Utd, and plays for Real Madrid. Man Utd simply saying, 'No, he's still a Man Utd player' is absolutely meaningless, and if the club insist that because he's on their list, then thats it, well you just have to put it down to the eccentricity of the club.

So again, some organisation has you on a list of members, that is absolutely meaningless, and has no consaquence to you and your life. Seriously, I'd just leave them to it, and move on. I would CERTAINLY implore you NOT to hate your parents for it

, they are refusing to let anybody leave the organisation for any reason.

Do they send the blackshirts around to march you to mass or something, or do they just say that they wont scribble your name off their list?

How could you not hate your parents for that?

Even if my parents signed me up to an organisation in which membership was actually consequential to my life, I'd still not hate them for it. I mean, think about it. All that your parents do and have done. yet you would desire to hate them on account of such an inconsequential thing they did to you when you were born, and for good intentions? Seriously, let go of such things and think about the love they have for you, and all the good things they have done and do.

Especially when they said they knew religion was all lies at the time they just did it so I wouldn't feel left out. :mad:

Again, while I disagree with doing something against ones own beliefs and principals, the above shows that they did it out of concern for you. They likely also knew, that in doing so, its not actually a big deal in tangible terms.
Seriously, HATE? Think about it.

neuro-praxis

GarIT wrote: »

They signed me up to an organisation that has had more convicted paedophiles than any other legal and official organisation in the world. It is also impossible to leave the organisation, they are refusing to let anybody leave the organisation for any reason. How could you not hate your parents for that? Especially when they said they knew religion was all lies at the time they just did it so I wouldn't feel left out. :mad:

Wow your parents sound irrevocably evil. Have you considered reporting them to the Gardai? What are you, 12?

tenchi-fan

GarIT wrote: »

They signed me up to an organisation that has had more convicted paedophiles than any other legal and official organisation in the world. It is also impossible to leave the organisation, they are refusing to let anybody leave the organisation for any reason. How could you not hate your parents for that? Especially when they said they knew religion was all lies at the time they just did it so I wouldn't feel left out. :mad:

GarIT. You just lost the game.