Ashes for Infants?

Q:On Ash Wednesday, the priest in our parish did not distribute ashes to small children. He explained to the people who were present that ashes are an outward sign of our inner intention to enter into the penitential discipline of Lent. He said that, even though ashes are a sacramental of the Church, it does not make sense to impose them on the foreheads of little children who are innocent and have no need to repent. He said a child should have some awareness of sin to be a recipient of ashes.

I felt his explanation made sense, but I cannot seem to find any “official” support for his position. In a neighboring parish, ashes were distributed to everyone, including infants. Could you shed some light on the question?

A: I found your letter and question quite interesting. There is a certain logic in the position taken by your parish priest. After all, we do not administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation to children who haven’t started school or expect preschoolers to participate in penitential services. Liturgical directions in the Sacramentary, after the blessing of ashes, say, “The priest then places ashes on those who come forward.”

That instruction seems to indicate a conscious decision to receive the sacramental, a personal declaration of the intention to change for the better and a prayer for God’s assistance. It doesn’t seem to suggest putting ashes on a baby carried to the altar or a toddler pulled there by his mother or father.

Yet there is a line in the Book of Blessings that says the season of Lent begins with the ancient practice of marking the baptized with ashes as “a public and communal sign of penance.”

From that I think it possible to argue that marking the child with ashes could be an expression of human solidarity and a reminder we are all marked by the sin of Adam and need redemption.

I’m not sure how much of a question this is in most places. You don’t usually find many babies or preschoolers at Masses on Ash Wednesday when their parents are between home and work.