Are non-Catholics allowed in the Sanctuary

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savedbychrist

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I discovered that back in 2018, my diocese held an ecumenical event with the Anglican Church. There was an occasion of lectern exchange, where the Anglican Cathedral Dean came over to our Cathedral and gave a homily in the Sunday Mass, and our Catholic Cathedral Rector went to the Anglican Cathedral and gave the homily in their Sunday Holy Eucharist in return.

Since the lectern is located in the Sanctuary, I wonder if it was alright for the Anglican Dean to use the lectern. Are non-Catholics allowed in the Sanctuary? Also, was it licit for the Anglican dean to give the homily in Mass?
 
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It used to be so, that only men (ie. no women) were allowed in the sanctuary.
Today, most sanctuaries, though still considered the Holy of Holies does not prohibit anyone from entering there. There is, for example no hard and fast rule prohibiting protestants from entering the sanctuary. I know of converts who started serving mass before finishing RCIA.
Outside of Mass, with the Catholic Bishop’s approval an Anglican could make a talk or “homily.”
But in context of the Mass, only an ordained Catholic Priest or Deacon is allowed to preach the homily. The end. 😉
 
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savedbychrist said:
Since the lectern is located in the Sanctuary, I wonder if it was alright for the Anglican Dean to use the lectern. Are non-Catholics allowed in the Sanctuary?
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There is no prohibition on lay people or non-Catholics “in the sanctuary”.
savedbychrist said:
Also, was it licit for the Anglican dean to give the homily in Mass?
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Catholic bishops, priests, and deacons give homilies. A lay person (which an Anglican clergyman or clergywoman is) may not give a homily.

If anyone else is speaking, this would be properly termed a reflection on the gospel. Nothing in the General Instructions of the Roman Missal (GIRM) makes allowance for a reflection in place of the homily during Mass.
 
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Catholic bishops, priests, and deacons give homilies. A lay person (which an Anglican clergyman or clergywoman is) may not give a homily.

If anyone else is speaking, this would be properly termed a reflection on the gospel. Nothing in the General Instructions of the Roman Missal (GIRM) makes allowance for a reflection in place of the homily during Mass.
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I dare say not, but it is a regular occurrence during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the UK, and everyone, including our Archbishop, is quite happy about it.
 
From the 1993 DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES AND NORMS ON ECUMENISM at http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/p...993_principles-and-norms-on-ecumenism_en.html

“134. In the Catholic Eucharistic Liturgy, the homily which forms part of the liturgy itself is reserved to the priest or deacon, since it is the presentation of the mysteries of faith and the norms of Christian living in accordance with Catholic teaching and tradition.138

135 . For the reading of Scripture and preaching during other than Eucharistic celebrations, the norms given above (n. 118) are to be applied.”

“118. In liturgical celebrations taking place in other Churches and ecclesial Communities, Catholics are encouraged to take part in the psalms, responses, hymns and common actions of the Church in which they are guests. If invited by their hosts, they may read a lesson or preach.”

So an Anglican could preach at a Catholic ceremony like Morning Prayer, but not at the Eucharist.
 
paperwight said:
I dare say not, but it is a regular occurrence during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the UK, and everyone, including our Archbishop, is quite happy about it.
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But this is not a homily within the Mass, right?
 
Crocus said:
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paperwight:
I dare say not, but it is a regular occurrence during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the UK, and everyone, including our Archbishop, is quite happy about it.
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But this is not a homily within the Mass, right?
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Absolutely it is.
 
Crocus said:
I am surprised that your Catholic church offers a Mass for that ecumenical gathering. Here is the guideline for 2019 from the Vatican.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/p...hrstuni_doc_20180621_week-prayer-2019_en.html
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Sorry, I have confused you. The Mass is not being offered for an ecumenical gathering. The event is not the Prayer Service for the Week of Prayer, it is the normal Sunday Mass for the parish which falls within that week. It is the custom to do a Pulpit Swap. That is to say, a priest from our parish preaches at one of the non-RC churches in the group, and someone from one of theirs comes to ours.

It is not an ecumenical gathering. The Combined Service is held separately.
 
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I am still confused. 🥴
Is it on the Sunday (of Christian unity week)?

Or is it at the mass on a weekday (of Christian unity week)?
 
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Don’t forget, the Week isn’t a strict calendar week. It starts a week before the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul (Jan. 24th) and ends with it, so the Sunday comes at different points in the Week of Prayer because the day that date is shifts a little each year. As I said, the pulpit swap takes place at a normal Sunday parish Mass. On a Sunday.
Crocus said:
I am still confused. 🥴
Is it on the Sunday (of Christian unity week)?

Or is it at the mass on a weekday (of Christian unity week)?
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.
 
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savedbychrist said:
There was an occasion of lectern exchange, where the Anglican Cathedral Dean came over to our Cathedral and gave a homily in the Sunday Mass, and our Catholic Cathedral Rector went to the Anglican Cathedral and gave the homily in their Sunday Holy Eucharist in return.
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I also believe (as others have pointed out) that an Anglican minister should not give a homily at a Catholic Mass. My understanding is that as he is not a Catholic priest (or deacon) he should not preach the homily at a Catholic Mass. I don’t think its about whether or not he should be in the Sanctuary (I suspect he may be allowed to sit in the Sanctuary, but I honestly don’t know about that issue) but whether or not he should give a homily at a Catholic Mass which I believe is not permitted.
 
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paperwight said:
That is to say, a priest from our parish preaches at one of the non-RC churches in the group, and someone from one of theirs comes to ours.
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I personally find that quite shocking (week of Christian unity or not).
 
Brendan_64 said:
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paperwight:
That is to say, a priest from our parish preaches at one of the non-RC churches in the group, and someone from one of theirs comes to ours.
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I personally find that quite shocking (week of Christian unity or not).
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Can we just examine why you find it shocking? You don’t think it’s a good thing for non-Catholics to hear a Catholic priest ? Or you find it shocking that the non-Catholic preaches (gives a refection, shares a thought, whatever one cares to call it) at a Mass?

In the first case, you would be surprised how often non-RCs comment how they were impressed by us ‘believing in Jesus as Saviour and it wasn’t all about Mary’

In the second case, it is good for the average Mass goer to hear warm good wishes for unity from the non RC cleric.
 
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I think the shocking part is that a homily at the Sunday Eucharist is the responsibility of the deacon or priest. Under other circumstances a sharing by other than those consecrated ministers would not be shocking.

Perhaps it is within the Bishop’s authority to allow otherwise in special circumstances. I do not know.
 
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paperwight said:
Can we just examine why you find it shocking? You don’t think it’s a good thing for non-Catholics to hear a Catholic priest ? Or you find it shocking that the non-Catholic preaches (gives a refection, shares a thought, whatever one cares to call it) at a Mass?
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Because he is not an ordained Catholic priest or deacon. The homily is part of the Catholic Mass and should be there to preach Catholic teaching, reflecting on the Gospel (and other readings). We are not one big Church that consists of different Christian denomination and my understanding is that non-Catholic ministers are in no position to preach the homily at Mass.
 
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Crocus said:
I think the shocking part is that a homily at the Sunday Eucharist is the responsibility of the deacon or priest. Under other circumstances a sharing by other than those consecrated ministers would not be shocking.

Perhaps it is within the Bishop’s authority to allow otherwise in special circumstances. I do not know.
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Well, the length of any homily is not laid down anywhere, as far as I know. I’ve seen one solution, the priest saying a sentence or two to expand on the Gospel, then handing over to the visitor.
 
TheMortenBay said:
It used to be so, that only men (ie. no women) were allowed in the sanctuary.
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My dad used tell a story of being an altar boy in the 50s and how one of the nuns pointed out that the altar boys could approach the altar, but she could not.
 
I wasn’t there and I don’t like to second guess the bishop. In the end it is his responsibility to make sure his flock is well and appropriately served.
 
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