St. Pius X and the Age of Communion
Sal, basically the age at which a child receives first Holy Communion in the Latin Church was determined by St. Pius X during his pontificate. Of course in the East, infants receive their first Holy Communion just after baptism and chrismation (confirmation). Sensing the impending social threat from atheistic modernism on the one extreme, and rigorous moral jansenism on the other, St. Pius X prescribed frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist as the antidote to sin. St. Pius X then became known as a Eucharistic Pope. At the time, if I am not mistaken, the age of first communion remained approximately twelve.
So how was the age lowered to the age of reason? The following is a story that common circulates, although I cannot vouch for its historical accuracy. After prescribing frequent daily communion for the faithful, St. Pius X was walking through the Vatican one day when he came across a pious young boy who had come with his parents to say prayers in the Eternal City. The boy was about the age of discretion, and St. Pius X, who as the oldest sibling of many from out in the country-side always had a soft spot in his heart for children, took the boy aside and asked him a few questions from the boy’s catechism about the Eucharist. After all, this was one of the Holy Father’s favorite subjects. The Holy Father was much impressed by this boy’s knowledge. The boy then asked the Holy Father why he had to wait to receive Our Lord. This question hit the sainted Pontiff like a ton of bricks, and he ordered that the boy be given his First Communion. Soon afterward, he promulgated some sort of decree lowering the age of communion to the age of reason.