Through the Sacrament of Baptism, a soul is restored to God’s friendship by the removal of original sin and the infusion in the soul of God’s grace and the three theological virtues. Our responsibility as baptized Catholics is to reciprocate by obeying God’s laws. As Our Lord said, “If you love Me, keep My Commandments” (John 14:15). Those laws include divine law, natural law, and ecclesiastical law. Ecclesiastical law concerns matters such as the six precepts. The first precept is to attend Holy Mass on Sundays and Holy Days. The second is to fast and abstain on the days appointed by the Church.
But at precisely what age do these precepts bind? It is often stated at what age fasting and abstinence begin and when they terminate. But what about the obligation to attend Mass?
Mass Attendance for Children
The Handbook of Moral Theology by Fr. Dominic Prummer states:
“All baptized persons who have reached the age of seven and have the use of reason are obliged under penalty of serious sin to hear Mass on Sundays and holy days. Thus, imbeciles and children who have not yet attained the use of reason before the age of seven years are not strictly bound to assist at Mass, since Ecclesiastical law does not bind them.”
Hence, a good rule of thumb is that children are not bound to assist at Mass until age 7, even if they have attained the use of reason at an earlier age. Even children who receive Holy Communion in an Eastern Rite as an infant are not bound to attend Mass until age 7. Children should be integrated into the parish community as early as appropriate and possible, but there is no obligation of assisting at Mass earlier than age 7.
Following Pope St. Pius X’s legislation, it became normative for children to be allowed to receive Holy Communion once they reached the age of reason. At this age, children are aware of their sin as offenses against God and can have true contrition. They can also understand that the Holy Eucharist is not mere bread but once consecrated by the priest at Mass becomes the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. Therefore, they can receive the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion. While children are capable to attaining this age of reason at a younger age, it is universally acknowledged that in normal circumstances, every child attains this competency by age seven. This is why it is also the age at which the Church’s first precept binds them.
As a practical matter, parents do well to teach their children that once they make their First Holy Communion (presumably at age 7 or younger), then they are also bound by the precept to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
Parents Have a Lofty Responsibility
Through the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, parents are given special graces by God to parent their children. On a natural level, they know their children best. It is their duty to educate them and form them in virtue. Therefore, parents are best suited to determine when their children should begin attending Mass. They must of course keep the Church’s law. Moreover, they should be motivated by true piety and a zeal for the salvation of their child’s soul.
Holy Mother Church is a solicitous for our good and her laws are always well measured. There are numerous reasons why young children are not obligated to assist at Mass. There is the consideration of nursing and crying infants. As they don’t have the mental development to contemplate the mysteries of faith, they are often bored at Mass. They can develop the habit of misbehaving and daydreaming at Mass. Parents often spend more time correcting children than praying. In past days, when families were large and filled with small children, it was not uncommon for the mother to attend an early Mass and return home. The father then took the older children and the mother remained with the younger ones. For example, St. Therese of Lisieux speaks of not having attended Mass as an infant.
Take care, as these rationales can be abused. We should keep in mind that the laws of the Church establish minimums which obligate all Catholics. Living an authentic Catholic Faith is not about doing the minimum so as to avoid sin, but about loving God as much as possible. We should desire to grow in virtue, gain merit, offer reparation, and strive for excellence in the spiritual life. These are all things which young children can do. We only need to think of the holy example set by Ss. Francisco and Jacinta of Fatima. Children can receive much grace at Mass, even though parents may be unaware of it.
Like all things in the Catholic life, parents should use prudence and prayer to discern the golden mean regarding the proper age and situations for their young children (under seven) to assist at Mass. And we should all avoid being judgmental and legalistic regarding such decisions made by other parents.
Mass Attendance for Catechumens
Fr. Prummer’s explanation specifically concerns the reception of the Sacrament of Baptism. The effects of Baptism can likewise be conferred through Baptism of Desire and Baptism of Blood, as the Church has taught. Hence, a catechumen who dies before reception of the Sacrament of Baptism may still receive the sanctifying grace of Baptism through their desire and thus attain the Beatific Vision. We do well to recall that Our Lord Himself taught Baptism is necessary for salvation (cf. Jn 3:5; Mk 16:16; Mt 20:19) and that it has been the constant teaching of the Church that a soul needs sanctifying grace to enter and exist in Heaven.
Nevertheless, catechumens, regardless of their desire for the Sacrament of Baptism, are not yet canonicallybound to assist at Holy Mass on Sundays and days of Precept. However, it would be incongruous for an adult catechumen, who asserts he wants to enter the Catholic Church, to be unwilling to begin developing the habit of attending Mass on Sunday. Such a disposition in a catechumen would be a red warning light to the pastor that something is amiss. Therefore, catechumens should attend Sunday Mass; it simply is not a mortal sin if they don’t. Naturally, catechumens are not yet permitted to receive Holy Communion. Yet, they are encouraged to pray at Mass for God to inspire them and convey His actual graces into their soul to help prepare them for their reception of sacramental grace.
Mass Attendance for Protestants
What about Protestants? Are Protestants obligated, if validly baptized, to attend Holy Mass? Turning again to Father Prummer, he writes:
“Subjects of the Law of Fasting are all baptized persons…until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Although strictly speaking Protestants and all baptized non-Catholics are obliged by the law of fasting inasmuch as they are subject to the laws of the Church, the Church does not seem to urge this obligation; consequently, these non-Catholics are not to be accused, generally speaking, of grave sin caused by the violation of the ecclesiastical fasts or abstinence.”
A natural extension of this would apply to the precept of attending Holy Mass. Validly baptized non-Catholics do not strictly sin for violating the Church’s precepts. Yet, since there is no salvation outside of the Church, they are all called to (re)convert to the Catholic Faith outside of which there is no salvation.