![]() Your appearance on the day makes the day special. ![]() No matter if you are an agnostic uncle, atheist aunt or lapsed cousin. If non-Catholics feel left out they can put on National dress/white dress/brother’s suit and tag along for a blessing. Children don’t have to make their Communions but it’s great if they do. The Irish Catholic newspaper referred to “the peculiar phenomenon of modern First Holy Communion” where rules, diktats and fear have been replaced by gentle all-inclusiveness. ![]() Pope Francis is on the cover of Rolling Stone and things are changing for the better.įor reasons I won’t go into now, the Catholic Church has had to come off its high horse. Family gatherings always have elements of coercion and compromise but religious ceremonies in Ireland have the additional burden of having to show one’s feelings towards the Catholic Church. There is the fear of appearing too holy or not holy enough. There is the fear of having to go Mass, fear of being fleeced, fear of being exposed as non-believer. BEING INVITED TO a First Holy Communion can plunge the invitee into a state of dread and fear.
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