Attending Mass at a Calvinistic Church

[rcwitness]

When the Lord is at a supper table he is there. I’m actually not complaining. I’m sorry if I have come across as such. The CC can refuse me. If I miss the table too much I know there are other Christians who will welcome me to theirs. And if Christ is not there via the detailed attempt at an explanation of how he is (transubstantiation), he will be their either by the mystery of faith or in spirit. Where 2 are gathered in his name in a home, there he is, he said. Peace.

Hey bro… lucky for us, we have a Catholic priest (Fr. Don Ruggero) participating in this thread! I will let him bless us with his wisdom and encouragement regarding your concerns. After all, it’s Baptized and Confirmed members who our priests are first and foremost obligated to reach out to.

Peace to you also, my friend
Michael

 

[pianistclare]

I’m making a drop in visit as someone chose to attempt to “explain” my thoughts in a way particularly egregious; I’ve corrected the record & explained myself

One encounters texts on this forum that are presented as though the text itself were definitive. This is very alien to the concept of Catholic theology and one must beware of it. In excommunicating Archbishop Lefebvre and the others in 1988, Pope Saint John Paul II wrote
But especially contradictory is a notion of Tradition which opposes the universal Magisterium of the Church possessed by the Bishop of Rome and the Body of Bishops. It is impossible to remain faithful to the Tradition while breaking the ecclesial bond with him to whom, in the person of the Apostle Peter, Christ himself entrusted the ministry of unity in his Church
We look to the living Magisterium to guide us…not simply to texts. Francis and PCPCU are who we look to today. Pius XI and Leo XIII are both dead. The Church is not in the place where it was when either occupied the Chair of Peter. Pope Leo XIII’s refusal to associate the Catholic Church with the World Council of Churches was revisited and changed by his successor. Thus his decision was superannuated by subsequent papal acts and those of an ecumenical council

The Council Fathers in Unitatis Redintegratio, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, recognised that the ecumenical movement is a divine imperative
*The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council. /…/ It follows that the separated Churches and Communities as such, though we believe them to be deficient in some respects, have been by no means deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Church /…/

Today, in many parts of the world, under the inspiring grace of the Holy Spirit, many efforts are being made in prayer, word and action to attain that fullness of unity which Jesus Christ desires. The Sacred Council exhorts all the Catholic faithful to recognize the signs of the times and to take an active and intelligent part in the work of ecumenism*
The Holy Father and dicasteries of the Holy See not only allow but mandate our engagement with the other Christian communities. We are well moved beyond what Pius XI expressed. That mindset changes in & after World War II. As Pope Benedict said in Erfurt in 2011
As the martyrs of the Nazi era brought us together and prompted that great initial ecumenical opening, so today, faith that is lived from deep within amid a secularized world is the most powerful ecumenical force that brings us together, guiding us towards unity in the one Lord. And we pray to him, asking that we may learn to live the faith anew, and that in this way we may then become one
There Benedict also said, far removed from the words of Pius XI
I would respond by saying that the first and most important thing for ecumenism is that we keep in view just how much we have in common, not losing sight of it amid the pressure towards secularization – everything that makes us Christian in the first place and continues to be our gift and our task. It was the error of the Reformation period that for the most part we could only see what divided us and we failed to grasp existentially what we have in common in terms of the great deposit of sacred Scripture and the early Christian creeds. For me, the great ecumenical step forward of recent decades is that we have become aware of all this common ground, that we acknowledge it as we pray and sing together, as we make our joint commitment to the Christian ethos in our dealings with the world, as we bear common witness to the God of Jesus Christ in this world as our inalienable, shared foundation
In terms of a text to close with, I would recommend a prayerful reading of Ut Unum Sint, Pope Saint John Paul II’s encyclical. Here is a relevant passage
42. It happens for example that, in the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount, Christians of one confession no longer consider other Christians as enemies or strangers but see them as brothers and sisters. Again, the very expression separated brethren tends to be replaced today by expressions which more readily evoke the deep communion — linked to the baptismal character — which the Spirit fosters in spite of historical and canonical divisions. Today we speak of “other Christians”, “others who have received Baptism”, and “Christians of other Communities”. The Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism refers to the Communities to which these Christians belong as “Churches and Ecclesial Communities that are not in full communion with the Catholic Church”. **This broadening of vocabulary is indicative of a significant change in attitudes. There is an increased awareness that we all belong to Christ. I have personally been able many times to observe this during the ecumenical celebrations which are an important part of my Apostolic Visits to various parts of the world, and also in the meetings and ecumenical celebrations which have taken place in Rome. **The “universal brotherhood” of Christians has become a firm ecumenical conviction. Consigning to oblivion the excommunications of the past, Communities which were once rivals are now in many cases helping one another
vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19641121_unitatis-redintegratio_en.html

Thank you Father. Have a blessed Lent.

 

[Magdalena59]

Father: I am curious to know how long you have been a priest, your age and if you have a parish. You are a Catholic priest? I have to say I am having a difficult time agreeing with you especially the statement that “this forum gives a very poor impression of Catholicism.”
What I see are faithful Catholics expressing the teachings of the Church. I’m also curious to know “what other ideas and concepts” you feel “have been outdated for decades.”

I second these questions.

Even though, yes, we are called to see the common ground we have with our non-Catholic friends and family and work toward unity, I would just like to give a reminder here that it is still a mortal sin to miss Mass and remind that in our act of contrition we pray and resolve with God’s help that we will avoid the near occasion of sin. So I would just caution the OP to be careful when being asked to attend protestant services that you do not miss Mass and if you go to be careful when asked to stay and continue attending.

God bless.

 

[rcwitness]

“The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior according to the scriptures, and therefore seek to fulfill together their common calling to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is a community of churches on the way to visible unity in one faith and one eucharistic fellowship, expressed in worship and in common life in Christ. It seeks to advance towards this unity, as Jesus prayed for his followers, ‘so that the world may believe’ (John 17:21)” (www.wcc-coe.org).I don’t mind this statement at all. The thing is, is that a common Eucharist is and has always been the heart of Unity for Catholics! The process of fellowship, dialogue, and inter-Christian denomination efforts that has its goal of a common Eucharist is true ecumenism. So both “Open Communion” and “Closed Fellowship” should be seen as opposed to the final goal of Christian unity.

 

[rcwitness]

I second these questions.

Even though, yes, we are called to see the common ground we have with our non-Catholic friends and family and work toward unity, I would just like to give a reminder here that it is still a mortal sin to miss Mass and in our act of contrition we pray that we will avoid the near occasion of sin. So I would just caution the OP to be careful what they hear and where they are drawn.

God bless.

Asside from whether Mortal Sin is present, there are more situations than just “missing Mass” that are not permissible by the Catholic Church. We are not to be God-parents to those in separate churches.

I agree that we should balance our approach and understanding of boundaries within ecumenism.

 

[Magdalena59]

Asside from whether Mortal Sin is present, there are more situations than just “missing Mass” that are not permissible by the Catholic Church. We are not to be God-parents to those in separate churches.

I agree that we should balance our approach and understanding of boundaries within ecumenism.

I agree too. I was just referencing the original question. Because of some of the other answers to this post it was just a reminder for a Catholic to be cautious and not replace a protestant service for Mass and not be led to continue attending the protestant services on Sunday instead of Mass. It happens very easily. As you said we must watch the boundaries of ecumenism. We do not want to put our souls at risk.

 

[ToeInTheWater]

Father Ruggerio, thank you very much for the explanation. I get the feeling the Catholic faith is actually much richer and complex than many make it out to be on CAF. I also find it ironic that many Traditionalists claim to represent “true Church teaching” yet they constantly question the authority of the Magisterium. I am sure I’m not the only one who sees a contradiction there.

I agree too. I was just referencing the original question.
Because of some of the other answers to this post it was just a reminder for a Catholic to be cautious and not replace a protestant service for Mass and not be led to continue attending the protestant services on Sunday instead of Mass. It happens very easily. As you said we must watch the boundaries of ecumenism. We do not want to put our souls at risk.

Hopefully you are just trying to give general advice. If you are referring to the posts from Father Ruggerio, I do not remember him stating anywhere, it is OK to “replace a protestant service for Mass”.

 

[rcwitness]

Hopefully you are just trying to give general advice. If you are referring to the posts from Father Ruggerio, I do not remember him stating anywhere, it is OK to “replace a protestant service for Mass”.

It’s not mere “advice”. It’s a necessary Teaching of the Catholic faith. And there are other lawful requirements we need to be made aware of when knowing our boundaries with relationships between non-Catholic Christians.

 

[Magdalena59]

Father Ruggerio, thank you very much for the explanation. I get the feeling the Catholic faith is actually much richer and complex than many make it out to be on CAF. I also find it ironic that many Traditionalists claim to represent “true Church teaching” yet they constantly question the authority of the Magisterium. I am sure I’m not the only one who sees a contradiction there.

Hopefully you are just trying to give general advice. If you are referring to the posts from Father Ruggerio, I do not remember him stating anywhere, it is OK to “replace a protestant service for Mass”.

No he did not expressly say that but his posts of encouragement for Catholics to attend protestant services is bothersome because, and I know this from experience, a person can be led astray and be away from the Catholic church for a time and not attend Mass and that puts their soul in grave danger. I think that is an important point that people need to remember when considering attending services outside of the Catholic Church. It is an important point for Catholic priests to be sure and point out.

You are right. The Catholic Church is very rich. It is like a deep well with so much for us.

Catholics are traditionalists. Our faith stands on 3 pillars - Magisterium, Scripture and Tradition. There aren’t traditional Catholics and non-traditional Catholics. If you say you are a non-traditional Catholic you would need to ask yourself which Traditions are you not following and why and know then that you are not following part of the Church. Being Catholic is accepting all of the Church’s teachings and in the Catholic Church we have also Tradition, besides Scripture and the Pope, that we follow.

Also, I am glad you are thinking about Catholicism. I have been both protestant and Catholic and just saying the Catholic Church is the greatest place to be. My journey home was long but very worth it.

God bless.

 

[rcwitness]

Another example of a non-Catholic Christian church service that we are not permitted to attend would be a same sex marriage cerimony/reception.

 

[QuiVenit]

I also find it ironic that many Traditionalists claim to represent “true Church teaching” yet they constantly question the authority of the Magisterium. I am sure I’m not the only one who sees a contradiction there.

This isn’t so much about questioning the Magisterium as it is about interpreting it.

Does one interpret the current Magisterium in light of the old, the old in light of the new, or does it work in both directions and to what extent? There’s various positions on that, and the first one happens to be associated with the so-called traditionalists.

Like many other things, traditionalism is a rather complicated set of philosophical lenses, and it does no one any good to over-simplify them.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Father Ruggerio, thank you very much for the explanation. I get the feeling the Catholic faith is actually much richer and complex than many make it out to be on CAF. I also find it ironic that many Traditionalists claim to represent “true Church teaching” yet they constantly question the authority of the Magisterium. I am sure I’m not the only one who sees a contradiction there.

You are most welcome.

Indeed there is a great richness to Catholicism…in her theology, her history, the various schools of spirituality, and in her various traditions and expressions.

A problem one quickly encounters here is the reality that there are very few participants who are clergy…and most of the clergy present are Deacons. One of the great gifts resulting from Vatican II was the restoration of the permanent diaconate, which was made available to men who are married and with families…reintroducing broadly into the Western Church the tradition of married men in the clergy. They have been an incalculable gift to me in my priesthood, both with regard to parish work and in the chancery.

Beyond these few, the vast majority of people here are laity…and laity who have never completed even an undergraduate degree in theology, let alone the higher degrees necessary to those of us in academia.

You will encounter many people who hold forth in this forum as if they have authority when, in fact, they have none. I vividly remember one thread in which one of these persons, who is a frequent poster, wrote something astonishingly incorrect, as is his wont. No less than three priests plus a canon lawyer corrected him…a correction he refused to accept. Which clearly demonstrated to the four of us that he neither understands nor appreciates the boundaries of his very very limited knowledge.

Another caution I would offer you in your journey is to beware of those who call themselves “Traditionalist Catholics.” They should be regarded with the very greatest of caution. You seem to have already well perceived this. Irony is a most kind word to use as descriptor for such people in my opinion but, yes, they dare, as laity, to set themselves up to judge the hierarchy and even the person of the very Vicar of Christ himself. Such people moreover, in my experience with them, demonstrate a critical want of understanding of Tradition in contradistinction to mere traditions

Those who are well described as “rigid” and “restorationist” I have found are best dealt with by silence and no response in real life and by the use of the forum’s ignore feature here, while devoting oneself to posters which merit attention. Time is simply too precious to squander.

Hopefully you are just trying to give general advice. If you are referring to the posts from Father Ruggerio, I do not remember him stating anywhere, it is OK to “replace a protestant service for Mass”.

This is a prime example of what I speak about above. Which, again, is why such people are best simply held in disregard.

 

[MichaelP3]

You are most welcome.

Indeed there is a great richness to Catholicism…in her theology, her history, the various schools of spirituality, and in her various traditions and expressions.

A problem one quickly encounters here is the reality that there are very few participants who are clergy…and most of the clergy present are Deacons. One of the great gifts resulting from Vatican II was the restoration of the permanent diaconate, which was made available to men who are married and with families…reintroducing broadly into the Western Church the tradition of married men in the clergy. They have been an incalculable gift to me in my priesthood, both with regard to parish work and in the chancery.

Beyond these few, the vast majority of people here are laity…and laity who have never completed even an undergraduate degree in theology, let alone the higher degrees necessary to those of us in academia.

You will encounter many people who hold forth in this forum as if they have authority when, in fact, they have none. I vividly remember one thread in which one of these persons, who is a frequent poster, wrote something astonishingly incorrect, as is his wont. No less than three priests plus a canon lawyer corrected him…a correction he refused to accept. Which clearly demonstrated to the four of us that he neither understands nor appreciates the boundaries of his very very limited knowledge.

Another caution I would offer you in your journey is to beware of those who call themselves “Traditionalist Catholics.” They should be regarded with the very greatest of caution. You seem to have already well perceived this. Irony is a most kind word to use as descriptor for such people in my opinion but, yes, they dare, as laity, to set themselves up to judge the hierarchy and even the person of the very Vicar of Christ himself. Such people moreover, in my experience with them, demonstrate a critical want of understanding of Tradition in contradistinction to mere traditions

Those who are well described as “rigid” and “restorationist” I have found are best dealt with by silence and no response in real life and by the use of the forum’s ignore feature here, while devoting oneself to posters which merit attention. Time is simply too precious to squander.

This is a prime example of what I speak about above. Which, again, is why such people are best simply held in disregard.

I really appreciate these kind of responses from you.

You may have no idea what difference you (or someone similar) could have made for me some while back. Maybe I wasn’t searching hard enough but I couldn’t find many/any of “you”. I really wish I could just have a chat with a cup of tea with you.

God bless

 

[Magdalena59]

Another example of a non-Catholic Christian church service that we are not permitted to attend would be a same sex marriage cerimony/reception.

Yes. Good point.

 

[rcwitness]

You are most welcome.

Indeed there is a great richness to Catholicism…in her theology, her history, the various schools of spirituality, and in her various traditions and expressions.

A problem one quickly encounters here is the reality that there are very few participants who are clergy…and most of the clergy present are Deacons. One of the great gifts resulting from Vatican II was the restoration of the permanent diaconate, which was made available to men who are married and with families…reintroducing broadly into the Western Church the tradition of married men in the clergy. They have been an incalculable gift to me in my priesthood, both with regard to parish work and in the chancery.

Beyond these few, the vast majority of people here are laity…and laity who have never completed even an undergraduate degree in theology, let alone the higher degrees necessary to those of us in academia.

You will encounter many people who hold forth in this forum as if they have authority when, in fact, they have none. I vividly remember one thread in which one of these persons, who is a frequent poster, wrote something astonishingly incorrect, as is his wont. No less than three priests plus a canon lawyer corrected him…a correction he refused to accept. Which clearly demonstrated to the four of us that he neither understands nor appreciates the boundaries of his very very limited knowledge.

Another caution I would offer you in your journey is to beware of those who call themselves “Traditionalist Catholics.” They should be regarded with the very greatest of caution. You seem to have already well perceived this. Irony is a most kind word to use as descriptor for such people in my opinion but, yes, they dare, as laity, to set themselves up to judge the hierarchy and even the person of the very Vicar of Christ himself. Such people moreover, in my experience with them, demonstrate a critical want of understanding of Tradition in contradistinction to mere traditions

Those who are well described as “rigid” and “restorationist” I have found are best dealt with by silence and no response in real life and by the use of the forum’s ignore feature here, while devoting oneself to posters which merit attention. Time is simply too precious to squander.

This is a prime example of what I speak about above. Which, again, is why such people are best simply held in disregard.

What is all this even saying? What is the point? Is there an actual disagreement that you are addressing?

I, Magdalena59, and a couple others have not disagreed that ecumenism is permissable, encouraged and a good thing. What we are saying, is that it should be balanced with the warnings of where a line can be crossed. Ecumenism needs to be limited and understood when we are talking about participating in services of Christian communities which are separated from His Eucharist.

Are you trying to tell us that it is OK to substitute a protestant Sunday service with the Mass? I don’t think you are, but you are reluctant to clarify that. Or would you support a member of your flock to attend a same sex marriage at their friends church? Again, I don’t think you would, but you do not seem to want to acknowledge this side of potential conflict with the Catholic faith.

Also, there is a Baptized and Confirmed Catholic, in this thread, who has expressed disbelief in Catholic Teaching and as a result has chosen to attend protestant churches instead of Mass. You haven’t offered any interest in helping him in his journey, yet you make vague criticisms of people and arguments which you aren’t clear about.

 

[Lenten_ashes]

You will encounter many people who hold forth in this forum as if they have authority when, in fact, they have none.** I vividly remember one thread in which one of these persons, who is a frequent poster, wrote something astonishingly incorrect, as is his wont. No less than three priests plus a canon lawyer corrected him…a correction he refused to accept.** .

 

[Lenten_ashes]

What is all this even saying? What is the point? Is there an actual disagreement that you are addressing?

I, Magdalena59, and a couple others have not disagreed that ecumenism is permissable, encouraged and a good thing. What we are saying, is that it should be balanced with the warnings of where a line can be crossed. Ecumenism needs to be limited and understood when we are talking about participating in services of Christian communities which are separated from His Eucharist.

Are you trying to tell us that it is OK to substitute a protestant Sunday service with the Mass? I don’t think you are, but you are reluctant to clarify that. Or would you support a member of your flock to attend a same sex marriage at their friends church? Again, I don’t think you would, but you do not seem to want to acknowledge this side of potential conflict with the Catholic faith.

Also, there is a Baptized and Confirmed Catholic, in this thread, who has expressed disbelief in Catholic Teaching and as a result has chosen to attend protestant churches instead of Mass. You haven’t offered any interest in helping him in his journey, yet you make vague criticisms of people and arguments which you aren’t clear about.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I really appreciate these kind of responses from you.

You may have no idea what difference you (or someone similar) could have made for me some while back. Maybe I wasn’t searching hard enough but I couldn’t find many/any of “you”. I really wish I could just have a chat with a cup of tea with you.

God bless

I am profoundly touched by your comment…Thank you.

I am happy on the one hand that my posts have made a positive difference for you but quite sad on the other hand that the misrepresentations by others of what the Church actually teaches has been harmful to you…perpetrated by people who neither faithfully transmit what the Church teaches nor faithfully model the attitudes of the Church. That is nothing short of grotesque. It also speaks to the problem with new forms of media in the age of the Internet, which are frankly under-supervised and reined in by competent ecclesiastical authority.

Sadly, you can appreciate all too well what Pope Francis says so forcefully and pointedly about Catholics falling so very far short in what they say as well as how they say it. With each of these statements, he makes me thank God for giving him to us as Supreme Pontiff. His is a pontificate we desperately needed.

Your positive comment gave me pause and made me think back to the great Augustin Cardinal Bea, which is how I became involved in the issue of dialogue so many many years ago…first in the wake of Nostra Aetate and then with regard to three of the dialogues with other Christian confessions over the decades. It all combines to make me think, at the beginning of yet another Lent, of the courses I have taught…the lectures and presentations I have given…and all the special assignments and to look back with the profoundest gratitude to how Divine Providence guided the decades of my service to the Church.

But most of all, you remind me of how much we owe the Lord for his gift of Saint John XXIII, Blessed Paul VI, and Saint John Paul II. There is not a day that goes by in which I do not thank the Lord for the inestimable gift of the Council which transformed the Church for the better, in every aspect of her being.

And then there comes visiting this place, as a consequence of having met the founder some number of years ago before I retired, and finding mindsets on the part of lay posters that are so completely alien, even repugnant, to the thoughts and initiatives of the Holy See. It has been quite remarkable. And horrifying.

The only positive thing I can say to you in that regard is that this forum bears no real resemblance to what I encounter in real life – be it in visits to the United States or everywhere else…well, other than the fact that there are everywhere the lone eccentrics. Even then, one immediately understands, as a guest speaker, that the diocese or parish or institution rejects these people. In any event, nothing like these attitudes are to be found in the dicasteries of the Holy See or the chanceries in the various dioceses or in the theological academy…thankfully.

I fondly remember the South Africans with whom I worked and interacted over the years. I am sorry that I did not go there in my younger days. I hope you will find there nice Catholics to interact with…and who are not like some of the people one can find here.

Make generous use of the ignore feature here.

I gladly invoke upon you and yours the blessing of Almighty God.

 

[Tommy999]

As a Methodist, I have benefited a ton from listening to Catholic radio and interacting with Catholics and others on CAF the past few years. I even attended a Catholic Mass once to see what it was like and it was a very nice experience. It was a very reverent atmosphere in which everything seemed to be centered around holy communion, although there were also Old and New Testament readings, a short homily (sermon), and hymns etc.

I feel this interaction with Catholicism has made me more well-rounded in my Christian walk and has given me a broader perspective on why other Christians believe as they do and hold the positions they hold on certain topics, especially Catholics. I have a much deeper respect and understanding than I used to have for it, although I still have much to learn.

Just as I feel I have benefited from my interaction with Catholicism, I think Catholics could likewise benefit from attending a Protestant service or finding a good Protestant minister to listen to on the radio or TV. This assumes that the Catholic who is doing this is well catechized so they know when not to cross the line (not taking a non-Catholic holy communion, for example) or believe something that is not in line with Catholic teaching.

In my view, there are some excellent Protestant homilists whose helpful and practical sermons on Christian living do not contradict Catholicism in any way. Listening to such speakers could potentially deepen and enrich their faith in Christ, in my opinion.

I suspect that Protestant ministers spend more time honing their preaching skills than the typical Catholic priest does, which is not to stay there aren’t some very good homilists in the Catholic community. Fr Larry Richards, Fr John Ricardo are Catholic speakers who do a wonderful job of reaching people and are as good as any Protestant minister I have ever heard speak. I’m sure there are many other great Catholic homilists, as well.

Depending on the Protestant denomination, there is usually less liturgy to learn and so the Protestant minister can focus more on the art of preparing and delivering sermons.

I also understand and respect the need for Catholics to stay true to their core beliefs. Therefore, they should not replace a Protestant service for their obligation to attend Mass. If they attend a Protestant service, it should be as a supplement – not a replacement.

Unless a Catholic is well catechized, it is probably not a good idea to attend a Protestant service or it could get confusing for them on what to believe, like learning Spanish and English at the same time.

However, a well-catechized Catholic who is true to his/her faith could benefit from attending an occasional Protestant worship service or by listening to a Protestant radio or TV show from time to time, just as I have done likewise with Catholicism. Just my two cents.

 

[rcwitness]

As a Methodist, I have benefited a ton from listening to Catholic radio and interacting with Catholics and others on CAF the past few years. I even attended a Catholic Mass once to see what it was like and it was a very nice experience. It was a very reverent atmosphere in which everything seemed to be centered around holy communion, although there were also Old and New Testament readings, a short homily (sermon), and hymns etc.

I feel this interaction with Catholicism has made me more well-rounded in my Christian walk and has given me a broader perspective on why other Christians believe as they do and hold the positions they hold on certain topics, especially Catholics. I have a much deeper respect and understanding than I used to have for it, although I still have much to learn.

Just as I feel I have benefited from my interaction with Catholicism, I think Catholics could likewise benefit from attending a Protestant service or finding a good Protestant minister to listen to on the radio or TV. This assumes that the Catholic who is doing this is well catechized so they know when not to cross the line (not taking a non-Catholic holy communion, for example) or believe something that is not in line with Catholic teaching.

In my view, there are some excellent Protestant homilists whose helpful and practical sermons on Christian living do not contradict Catholicism in any way. Listening to such speakers could potentially deepen and enrich their faith in Christ, in my opinion.

I suspect that Protestant ministers spend more time honing their preaching skills than the typical Catholic priest does, which is not to stay there aren’t some very good homilists in the Catholic community. Fr Larry Richards, Fr John Ricardo are Catholic speakers who do a wonderful job of reaching people and are as good as any Protestant minister I have ever heard speak. Depending on the Protestant denomination, there is usually less liturgy to learn and so the Protestant minister can focus more on the art of preparing and delivering sermons.

I also understand and respect the need for Catholics to stay true to their core beliefs. Therefore, they should not replace a Protestant service for their obligation to attend Mass. If they attend a Protestant service, it should be as a supplement – not a replacement.

Unless a Catholic is well catechized, it is probably not a good idea to attend a Protestant service or it could get confusing for them on what to believe, like learning Spanish and English at the same time.

However, a well-catechized Catholic who is true to his/her faith could benefit from attending an occasional Protestant worship service or by listening to a Protestant radio or TV show from time to time, just as I have done likewise with Catholicism. Just my two cents.

Good post!