Alright to attend an Episcopal Church?

[cmodrmac]

we are actually the " via media" -middle way between Catholic and Protestant-

we really do not have “Also, there’s a lot of doctrinal weirdness in the Episcopal church.”
read our Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer -it is readable and really does not contain any “weirdness” the Pope Emeritus and the Rowan Williams (Emertius archbishop of Canterbury attended evensong together on a number of occasions)

we are Christians like you doing God’s work

 

[ComplineSanFran]

we are actually the " via media" -middle way between Catholic and Protestant-

we really do not have “Also, there’s a lot of doctrinal weirdness in the Episcopal church.”
read our Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer -it is readable and really does not contain any “weirdness” the Pope Emeritus and the Rowan Williams (Emertius archbishop of Canterbury attended evensong together on a number of occasions)

we are Christians like you doing God’s work

Thank you for saying these things. Good education moment.

Attached is a picture of Pope Benedict and Archbishop Rowan Williams during a service at Westminster Abbey.

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

Fr Vincent is referring to worship, i.e. in place of Mass or other Holy Day obligations.

If a person does not have access to a Catholic church for services, they can attend protestant services.

Jim

That was not what Father was responding to. In the question he answered here, the person wanted to know if attending a midweek service was allowed. They weren’t substituting this with Sunday Mass since it was in the middle of the week, and Father was pretty straightforward when he said that Catholics have no business attending Protestant services, even occasionally.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

That was not what Father was responding to. In the question he answered here, the person wanted to know if attending a midweek service was allowed. They weren’t substituting this with Sunday Mass since it was in the middle of the week, and Father was pretty straightforward when he said that Catholics have no business attending Protestant services, even occasionally.

Yeah I read his answer.

I don’t agree and neither do canon lawyers, theologians and the Popes

Jim

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

Here I disagree with you completely. Protestant services have no value? Come on now. “Where ever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.” People pray together, read and reflect on the Word, sing hymns (probably better than most RCs do), and worship God. You have every right to say that your Sacraments are different that the Sacraments of the Anglican church, but please don’t disparage people who gather to Worship the Lord.

My apologies if I offended you as that was not my intention. I suppose I should change my wording to say that there is only some value, but from a Catholic perspective a Protestant service has very little value when compared to a Catholic service. In the Catholic service, we have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass which is the reoffering of the Sacrifice of the Cross in an unbloody manner. This has infinite value. Then we receive Our Lord in Holy Communion. People can gather anywhere to say prayers together, but that is not the same as offering sacrifice to God.

I don’t see what you mean by Protestants singing hymns better than Catholics do. Catholics have choirs and pipe organs like Protestants do. We even sing hymns in an ecclesiastical language. Everybody might not sing aloud with the choir, but that is not needed to participate in it.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Whats an ecclesiastical language ?

If you’re talking Gregorian Chant, hardly any parishes sing it for they don’t have the skills in their music ministry, nor the desire to do so.

Jim

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

Yeah I read his answer.

I don’t agree and neither do canon lawyers, theologians and the Popes

Jim

That doesn’t seem to be the case. There is a difference between ecumenism and what Fr. Vincent is talking about. In the case of the original question, I see no reason for her to attend Protestant services when there is no Catholic church. It would be better if she stays home and reads the propers for the day, unites herself with a Catholic Mass spiritually, and makes an act of spiritual Communion than to be exposed to heresy.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

That doesn’t seem to be the case. There is a difference between ecumenism and what Fr. Vincent is talking about. In the case of the original question, I see no reason for her to attend Protestant services when there is no Catholic church. It would be better if she stays home and reads the propers for the day, unites herself with a Catholic Mass spiritually, and makes an act of spiritual Communion than to be exposed to heresy.

The answer to the OP was clarified.

Where there is no Catholic Parish to attend Mass or prayer services, attending a Protestant Service is licit.

You said it was immoral, do you really want to stick with that ?

Jim

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

Whats an ecclesiastical language ?

If you’re talking Gregorian Chant, hardly any parishes sing it for they don’t have the skills in their music ministry, nor the desire to do so.

Jim

I was referring to Latin since it is the ecclesiastical language of the Church. An ecclesiastical language is just a language that a certain church employs. After practice, I am sure they can get the hang of it. Myself, as a non musical person, find the melodies of Gregorian Chant a lot easier to sing both along to and by myself. Anyway, I wasn’t concerned with the popularity of it in the Church rather than the fact that the Church uses it in traditional Masses and it is not typically seen among Protestants even if they are having a traditional service.

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

The answer to the OP was clarified.

Where there is no Catholic Parish to attend Mass or prayer services, attending a Protestant Service is licit.

You said it was immoral, do you really want to stick with that ?

Jim

Yes, I do believe it to be sinful. After reading it in books and prayer books written by priests or Bishops with imprimaturs, I believed it to be sinful. Why should she attend a Protestant service?

 

[Trad_Catholic27]

The Church has never recommend Catholics to attend a protestant service expect for ecumenical reasons or a wedding other than that it is mortally sinful.

The original poster should be able to find a Catholic parish in her city or watch the mass on EWTN

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I was referring to Latin since it is the ecclesiastical language of the Church. An ecclesiastical language is just a language that a certain church employs. After practice, I am sure they can get the hang of it. Myself, as a non musical person, find the melodies of Gregorian Chant a lot easier to sing both along to and by myself. Anyway, I wasn’t concerned with the popularity of it in the Church rather than the fact that the Church uses it in traditional Masses and it is not typically seen among Protestants even if they are having a traditional service.

Very few parishes in the USA use Latin and Gregorian Chant.

That doesn’t make a service more sacred than in the vernacular.

As it is, most parishes use missalettes from the Oregon Press, which includes protestant hymns that are sung in many parishes.

If one parish has Latin and Gregorian Chant and another has Mass in the vernacular, a Catholic is not bound to attend the former.

Jim

 

[steve_b]

So, I’m Catholic but I recently had to move to a place where the only available church is an Episcopalian one. I was wondering if it would be alright to attend it until I am able to find a Catholic one that is reasonable to get to. They said it would be fine with them, so I was checking here. I heard they are “partly Catholic” anyways.

Thanks!!

As others have suggested, there’s no problem finding a Catholic Church in Phoenix

View All

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Yes, I do believe it to be sinful. After reading it in books and prayer books written by priests or Bishops with imprimaturs, I believed it to be sinful. Why should she attend a Protestant service?

Yeah, long before Vatican II, you couldn’t even step foot into a protestant church.

I wasn’t allowed in the Cub Scouts back in the 50’s, because the den mother held the pack meeting in the basement of the local protestant church.

Jin

 

[mdgspencer]

If your faith isn’t strong, you might be tempted to deny Catholic beliefs or moral convictions by persuasive speakers. It would be wrong to put yourself in such a situation.
While I personally wouldn’t object to my going to a Protestant service for good reason, as for a funeral for a relative, I would not consider it a satisfactory way of Sunday worship on a regular basis.
The official name of the Episcopal Church, by the way, is the “Protestant Episcopal Church.”
Phoenix may only be a neighboring city of this individual, but not nearby. If so, this person’s problem would remain.

 

[SMH_2015]

Where there is no Catholic Parish to attend Mass or prayer services, attending a Protestant Service is licit.

You said it was immoral, do you really want to stick with that ?

Catholics & Protestants (most, as far as I know) worship the same triune God. They recite the same Nicene Creed, use the same baptismal formula & sing a lot of the same hymns.
No, Communion is different. But seriously, OP, attending a service is IMMORAL???

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Catholics & Protestants (most, as far as I know) worship the same triune God. They recite the same Nicene Creed, use the same baptismal formula & sing a lot of the same hymns.
No, Communion is different. But seriously, OP, attending a service is IMMORAL???

Not my statement, but to the one I posted to.

I agree with you

Jim

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

Yeah, long before Vatican II, you couldn’t even step foot into a protestant church.

I wasn’t allowed in the Cub Scouts back in the 50’s, because the den mother held the pack meeting in the basement of the local protestant church.

Jin

They certainly had the right idea back then. I still can’t see why someone should attend Protestant services in the absence of a Catholic church.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

They certainly had the right idea back then. I still can’t see why someone should attend Protestant services in the absence of a Catholic church.

It was a bad idea back then it was pure bigotry between both Catholics and Protestants.

Jim

 

[steve_b]

Catholics & Protestants (most, as far as I know) worship the same triune God. They recite the same Nicene Creed, use the same baptismal formula & sing a lot of the same hymns.
No, Communion is different. But seriously, OP, attending a service is IMMORAL???

That’s relativizing the HUGE difference that is there.