On Sunday 3 October six children were admitted to receive First Communion at Christ Church, Vienna. I am often asked about this recent practice within the Anglican Communion and especially in the Church of England. There are three things I would like to say. Firstly, all children who ask to receive Holy Communion are supported by their parents and are carefully prepared by a member of the congregation to do so. Secondly, children must be of an age that they can distinguish (appropriate to their age) between their daily bread and the food of the Lord's Table. Thirdly, the custom of admitting children to First Communion is about ensuring that at an early date children receive the grace this food supplies while at the same time anchoring their belonging in the Body of Christ. Confirmation is then about making a mature confession of Christian faith and not about admission to Holy Communion. In our Austrian context our practice mirrors that of the Roman Catholic Church, whereas the historic Protestant churches in Austria have gone over to an open table not requiring either Confirmation or even Baptism to receive Holy Communion.
