Pope Pius X declared that children should not be made to wait until 11, 12, sometimes even 14, to receive First Holy Communion as was the custom of the day (think St. Bernadette). He said children should be admitted to the sacrament by age 7, the approximate time most children reach the “age of reason”.
When Pope Pius X became Pope, one of his first thoughts was not only to feed little children with bread, but also to feed their souls with the Body and Blood of Jesus, their Lord and God, under the appearance of bread, in Holy Communion. Many in the Church objected to this, but he loved children and he loved Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament so much that he wanted them to frequently embrace each other in Holy Communion, as a child embraces its beloved mother. He wanted children to be allowed to receive Jesus as soon as they knew enough catechism to understand that our dear Lord and God comes to them in Holy Communion. One day an English lady had her four year old son with her at a private visit with Pope Pius X. The Pope stooped down to the little boy and asked him: “How old are you?” “I am four,” said the boy. Then the Holy Father continued: “Whom do you receive in Holy Communion?” “Jesus Christ,” answered the little fellow. “And who is Jesus Christ?” inquired the Pope. “Jesus Christ is God,” was the boy’s immediate answer. The Pope was delighted and turned to the mother and said: “Bring your boy to me tomorrow and I will give him his first Communion myself.”
I got this article from :http://ckenhome.blogspot.com and I do appreciate the writings and wisdom our popes have given us. Hope to share more as I learn how to blog. Thank you Carol
The Little Flower Of Lisieux Blog 