Attending Mass at a Calvinistic Church

[Zerg]

I have been invited to attend a Protestant service indirectly by a notice in the church bulletin.

I feel obligated to attend, but I cannot drive, so I will try my best. It’s actually in walking distance, I will some show find my way.

Have you been to a Calvinistic church before? I’m sure there not much different, All I am expected to do is to act respectfuly.

 

[Contarini]

I have been invited to attend a Protestant service indirectly by a notice in the church bulletin.

I feel obligated to attend, but I cannot drive, so I will try my best. It’s actually in walking distance, I will some show find my way.

Have you been to a Calvinistic church before? I’m sure there not much different, All I am expected to do is to act respectfuly.

First of all, why do you feel obligated to attend because there’s a notice in the church bulletin? What church bulletin? Your Catholic parish’s bulletin?

Second, what makes you describe this church as “Calvinistic”? Churches in the Calvinist/Reformed tradition vary widely. None of them would call their worship “Mass.”

I have visited a wide variety of churches in the Reformed tradition and am happy to talk to you about it. (I also got my Ph.D. in the origins of the Reformed tradition.)

I hope your visit goes well. You should know that the more conservative Reformed churches are quite anti-Catholic, though in a grave and sober way rather than the flamboyantly rude way of fundamentalists and many Pentecostals. But I can’t tell from your post whether this church is a conservative Calvinist church or just a “mainline” church in the Reformed tradition, which is quite different.

Edwin

 

[Catholic1954]

I have been invited to attend a Protestant service indirectly by a notice in the church bulletin.

I feel obligated to attend, but I cannot drive, so I will try my best. It’s actually in walking distance, I will some show find my way.

Have you been to a Calvinistic church before? I’m sure there not much different, All I am expected to do is to act respectfuly.

There could be a big difference, you realize that this will not be a MASS? Be respectful, but don’t participate, you are just an observer. NOT taking any kind of communion goes without saying. Check around and see if you can attend with someone else from the parish. You will be more comfortable with a companion.

 

[Swisscath]

My understanding of the Catechism is that Catholics should not attend/participate in the religious ceremonies of other Faiths. You truly have no obligation to attend.
It will not be a Mass it will be a service. Our Blessed Lord will not be present for the ‘communion’ this service will offer because it will not be offered by a
Catholic priest and there will not be a true consecration.

 

[Lenten_ashes]

I have been invited to attend a Protestant service indirectly by a notice in the church bulletin.

I feel obligated to attend, but I cannot drive, so I will try my best. It’s actually in walking distance, I will some show find my way.

Have you been to a Calvinistic church before?** I’m sure there not much different,** All I am expected to do is to act respectfuly.

Only like night and day lol

Seriously, huge difference between that sort of service and a Catholic Mass. And they don’t call their service a “Mass”. So just be advised if you are there with them and call it a Mass, they will know you are Catholic…and then the claws are likely to come out and they try to save your Catholic soul lol

If this was in a Catholic bulletin then that surprises me a little. Wonder what the context was.

 

[po18guy]

If you are not well-grounded in your faith, do not go! Each and every denomination on the face of this earth has been incited to lure Catholics away from the true faith. We see this regularly in so-called “ecumenical bible studies.” Right. Fishing expeditions for Cath-fish.

 

[Nigel7]

First of all, why do you feel obligated to attend because there’s a notice in the church bulletin?

This. ^

Simply don’t go.

 

[Sy_Noe]

My understanding of the Catechism is that Catholics should not attend/participate in the religious ceremonies of other Faiths. You truly have no obligation to attend.
It will not be a Mass it will be a service. Our Blessed Lord will not be present for the ‘communion’ this service will offer because it will not be offered by a
Catholic priest and there will not be a true consecration.

I never understand why people say this. That would be according to the Roman Catholic faith, that the Lord is not present in such a communion service. But others believe the Lord is. I think there are certainly Episcopalians who believe the Lord is present. I once even had a Disciples of Christ pastor say while his congregation believed in a symbolic representation, he surely hopes the Lord’s spirit is present!

 

[Lenten_ashes]

I never understand why people say this. That would be according to the Roman Catholic faith, that the Lord is not present in such a communion service. But others believe the Lord is. I think there are certainly Episcopalians who believe the Lord is present. I once even had a Disciples of Christ pastor say while his congregation believed in a symbolic representation, he surely hopes the Lord’s spirit is present!

No true consecration so it wont be body, blood, soul and divinity.

But can still be present, and I’m quite certain he is.

 

[SAVINGRACE]

I wouldn’t go but it’s up to. Other posters have put up some interesting information for you to consider.

I have many protestant friends, we socialise etc but I have no interest in attending a worship service at a protestant church outside of weddings, baptisms and funerals.

The only church I will consider attending a worship Liturgy at is a Eastern Orthodox one.

 

[Tim_D]

I never understand why people say this. That would be according to the Roman Catholic faith, that the Lord is not present in such a communion service. But others believe the Lord is. I think there are certainly Episcopalians who believe the Lord is present. I once even had a Disciples of Christ pastor say while his congregation believed in a symbolic representation, he surely hopes the Lord’s spirit is present!

If they do not possess the four marks of the Church: One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, then they do not possess the legitimacy to confect the Eucharist and, thus, do not have the Eucharistic presence of Christ within them. Certainly Christ may be present but not in the way that the Catholic church does.

 

[Tomyris]

Only like night and day lol

Seriously, huge difference between that sort of service and a Catholic Mass. And they don’t call their service a “Mass”. So just be advised if you are there with them and call it a Mass, they will know you are Catholic…and then the claws are likely to come out and they try to save your Catholic soul lol

If this was in a Catholic bulletin then that surprises me a little. Wonder what the context was.

Wow.

We actually get a lot of Catholic visitors and we are friendly, sometimes getting into conversations with them. I recall a service in which the pastor asked everyone who was formerly Catholic to raise their hands - about 75% of the congregation did.

We don’t try to convert Catholics. Mostly they have decided to leave by the time they show up. Some are very bitter at what they have seen in the leadership, or have experienced abuse, or have been disenchanted with the legalism that is taught at parish level, or the liberalism that permeates many parishes, and they are seeking a more authentic Christianity than they can find in the Catholic Church as life-long Catholics and graduates of Catholic schools.

Most Reformed churches don’t call themselves Calvinist, and certainly do not call the service a Mass, most certainly and definitely not. I find the OP’s notice in the church bulletin to be very odd. Perhaps he could quote it in context, and explain why he feels obligated to go? Calvinist churches would not be placing anything in a Catholic church bulletin, especially about attending their service.

 

[Tomyris]

I hope your visit goes well. You should know that the more conservative Reformed churches are quite anti-Catholic, though in a grave and sober way rather than the flamboyantly rude way of fundamentalists and many Pentecostals.

Let me make the comment that although there is anti-Catholicism in Reformed churches, I have encountered it mostly from bitter ex-Catholics. It is extremely unlikely anyone would corner a visitor in order to -]beat/-] reason the Catholicism out of them. You might have a polite dialog with someone. “You’re Catholic, I see.” “I thought I was undetected.” “It was the genuflecting and the crossing yourself.” “Oh.” “Well, have a good day.” If that. Most people probably would not make it an issue. There are always a few cranks everywhere, though.

Reformed people tend to be intellectual and polite. I am an exception to both more than I would like.

 

[Lenten_ashes]

Wow.

We actually get a lot of Catholic visitors and we are friendly, sometimes getting into conversations with them. I recall a service in which the pastor asked everyone who was formerly Catholic to raise their hands - about 75% of the congregation did.

We don’t try to convert Catholics. Mostly they have decided to leave by the time they show up. Some are very bitter at what they have seen in the leadership, or have experienced abuse, or have been disenchanted with the legalism that is taught at parish level, or the liberalism that permeates many parishes, and they are seeking a more authentic Christianity than they can find in the Catholic Church as life-long Catholics and graduates of Catholic schools.

Most Reformed churches don’t call themselves Calvinist, and certainly do not call the service a Mass, most certainly and definitely not. I find the OP’s notice in the church bulletin to be very odd. Perhaps he could quote it in context, and explain why he feels obligated to go? Calvinist churches would not be placing anything in a Catholic church bulletin, especially about attending their service.

Yeah, so the rabid anti- cathoicism is something I’ve seen a lot of. Im glad your particular church isn’t like that. It’s really unbecoming of anyone professing Christ to act that way.

Maybe the info in the bulletin is regarding some unified good cause to help the poor. That’s the only thing i can imagine that would warrant a bulliten entry. But the OP can provide clarification.

 

[Tomyris]

Yeah, so the rabid anti- cathoicism is something I’ve seen a lot of. Im glad your particular church isn’t like that. It’s really unbecoming of anyone professing Christ to act that way.

Maybe the info in the bulletin is regarding some unified good cause to help the poor. That’s the only thing i can imagine that would warrant a bulliten entry. But the OP can provide clarification.

While it is there, it is not necessarily something you would run into.

I knew a very angry anti-Catholic who had been raised Catholic and was extremely hateful and bitter towards the Catholic Church - he would give you an earful if you gave him an opportunity. I mostly avoided him, but I know of at least one missionary who got an earful after church. The missionary had spoken, and they were working with the CC on some projects in country. He was heated and it was ugly and I left. Probably people stepped in and stopped him after a minute or two, but the missionary was calmly dealing with him, too. But I had heard him before. If he found out a guest was Catholic, he might , I think, go after them. But he is the exception, not the rule. And people would be concerned about how he was interacting with a guest, and intervene.

 

[Lenten_ashes]

While it is there, it is not necessarily something you would run into.

I knew a very angry anti-Catholic who had been raised Catholic and was extremely hateful and bitter towards the Catholic Church - he would give you an earful if you gave him an opportunity. I mostly avoided him, but I know of at least one missionary who got an earful after church. The missionary had spoken, and they were working with the CC on some projects in country. He was heated and it was ugly and I left. Probably people stepped in and stopped him after a minute or two, but the missionary was calmly dealing with him, too. But I had heard him before. If he found out a guest was Catholic, he might , I think, go after them. But he is the exception, not the rule. And people would be concerned about how he was interacting with a guest, and intervene.

Greetings.

There are some former Catholics out there who experienced religion w/o relationship. Never properly catechized, never had that second conversion. And so they experience the ‘come to Jesus’ moment outside the Church and they now feel robbed, as if their youth was taken from them by a legalistic church with superfluous rituals/practices.

Of course none of this stuff is legalistic or superfluous to me, it carries deep meaning as I understand it fairly well and have had that real conversion of the heart. But I understand their frustration - if they are ignorant then they are just doing what comes natural in that situation.

 

[Contarini]

My understanding of the Catechism is that Catholics should not attend/participate in the religious ceremonies of other Faiths.

Where does the Catechism say this?

Canon law certainly says that Catholics should not receive communion in churches that lack apostolic succession (and not normally in schismatic churches that do have it, but that’s more complicated). But nothing (in the current canon law) about attendance and participation in non-sacramental worship. And it’s not in the Catechism, at any rate.

 

[Contarini]

If you are not well-grounded in your faith, do not go! Each and every denomination on the face of this earth has been incited to lure Catholics away from the true faith.

Nonsense. I know a lot of Protestants who disclaim “sheep-stealing.” To be sure, when ex-Catholics beat their doors down they let them in:shrug:

We see this regularly in so-called “ecumenical bible studies.” Right. Fishing expeditions for Cath-fish.

There may be some such Bible studies, but to suggest that they are all like that is unjustified paranoia.

Edwin

 

[Sy_Noe]

Greetings.

There are some former Catholics out there who experienced religion w/o relationship. Never properly catechized, never had that second conversion. And so they experience the ‘come to Jesus’ moment outside the Church and they now feel robbed, as if their youth was taken from them by a legalistic church with superfluous rituals/practices.

Of course none of this stuff is legalistic or superfluous to me, it carries deep meaning as I understand it fairly well and have had that real conversion of the heart. But I understand their frustration - if they are ignorant then they are just doing what comes natural in that situation.

There is no such thing as a former Catholic according your church’s teachings. Even if they are attending a non Catholic community.

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[oldgraymare2]

Where does the Catechism say this?

Canon law certainly says that Catholics should not receive communion in churches that lack apostolic succession (and not normally in schismatic churches that do have it, but that’s more complicated). But nothing (in the current canon law) about attendance and participation in non-sacramental worship. And it’s not in the Catechism, at any rate.

I have Protestant family members of different denominations.

I used to attend church with one of my family members when she invited me to go with her when I would be visiting with her. She belonged to a United Methodist church and I would go with her on Sunday morning when she would go to Sunday morning service.

I used to talk to one of my former Pastors about this. He told me that it was fine to do this, as long as I fulfilled my Sunday Mass obligation at our parish, before attending her church service.

When I would visit her, I would usually spend Sunday with her, all day.

So, I would go to Mass at my parish on Saturday evening for the Vigil Mass, and then I would go with her on Sunday morning for her church’s Sunday morning service.