A meeting of the Malpas Deanery Synod was held at Tilstone Fearnall in February to discuss the Report of the Bishop's Working Group on the question of the admission of baptised persons to Holy Communion before Confirmation, with particular reference to the Confirmation of children from the age of eight plus.
A member of the Working Group set up to discuss these thorny problems, the Revd. Rex Buckley, gave a brief resume of the discussions which had taken place in the many meetings of the Group. He said that it was apparent from quite early on that many and varied were the opinions of the Group. However, they did manage to cobble together a series of recommendations for discussion by interested parties.
The same spread of opinions was apparent when the Report was discussed at the Synod.
The Bishop's Working Group Report goes into great detail regarding the Biblical evidence and the historical theological understanding of the significance of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion. It makes great play of the theory that by Baptism the candidate is admitted into the church and is said to be regenerate.
That's alright as far as it goes, but it must be remembered that the sleeping (or crying) child is blissfully unaware of what is being undertaken on its behalf So until the mature person accepts or rejects the theory of Baptism it can hardly be regarded as a major factor in the discussion.
However, the real thorny and important question was, should a child be Confirmed as early as eight years or at the more traditional age of twelve-plus? Would the younger child really understand what Holy Communion was all about?
It must be said that the prevailing opinion of the meeting of the Synod was that eight was not too young providing the child gave some evidence of a degree of spirituality.
But what is "spirituality" in a child? One got the impression that "spirituality" was nothing more than the current buzz word.
The abstract nature of religion is a diffcult proposition for many to grasp and it was felt by some members of the Synod that eleven or twelve was quite early enough to begin preparation for Confirmation.
Another important question was whether or not people, and in particular young people, should be allowed to take Communion before Confirmation The Synod was quite willing to accept this, providing they were confirmed at a later date.
However, traditionally, when the candidates presented themselves for Confirmation it was seen as their public statement that they accepted the teachings of the Church and wished to join the family of God. If that premise is accepted, then to take Communion before Confirmation is a meaningless gesture!
The Bishop's Working Group made three recommendations in their Report for, as they put it, "holding the Diocese together" in response to the current situation: First: that the traditional practice of Confirmation before admission to Holy Communion continue to be the norm, Secondly: that children of eight-plus be, if desired, Confirmed by the Bishop, this to be followed by renewal of Baptismal promises before the Bishop at sixteen-plus, Thirdly: that admission to Holy Communion be allowed by the Parish Priest at eight-plus, with Confirmation by the Bishop to be followed at sixteen-plus.
The Synod was asked to vote to accept the Report as a whole rather than to vote on bits here and there. The result was those in favour: 20, against: 5, with 1 abstention.
The Rural dean stressed that the vote in favour was not a commitment to a course of action but rather an expression of opinion which would go forward to those in "higher places". Parishes could, and should, carry on in the way that suited their particular needs
R.V. Gardner
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