Attending Non-Catholic Services

[Emil]

After attending Protestant weddings and funerals, and even a Catholic/Muslim wedding, I have decided at the age of fifty-five to stop attending any service that is not Catholic. I feel very ill at ease in a Protestant or House of Worship which isn’t Christian. For instance, my Catholic cousin married a Catholic/Jewish woman and I’m close to them and their sons, but when both boys had their Bar Mitzvah, I did not attend, nor did I give a gift. I don’t feel right going to a synagogue where Jesus Christ is not recognized.

I do not believe it is unchristian to abstain from attending services which are non-Catholic. I would like to hear, however, from those who agree and those who don’t to widen my perspective. Please be kind, howeve , and be aware that attending these services exacerbate an anxiety problem I have. For instance, the son of a friend of mine who calls me uncle married two weeksa ago. He has told me he’s an atheist and he wrote the entire wedding ceremony (who knows what it had? --he’s not hostile to the Church, however), and I did not attend. However, I did send him a gift to let him know I love him.

I once read that Queen Elizabeth does not attend any service that’s not Anglican and found it a bit off-putting. But now, I find myself in the same situation.

 

[Barbkw]

Non denominational / non Catholic funerals are interesting.

I’m not sure it’s appropriate to be encouraged by a pastor to laugh multiple times during a funeral service. Or for him to wax on about his philosophies concerning state-of-affairs, etc.

The first joke, I refused to laugh. It was funny, but it’s a funeral!!!
The second one, I was thinking, “What the heck?” "It’s a funeral!
The third one he got me with - and everyone else had laughed at joke one and joke two.

The mentally handicapped lady behind me was gahoffing with disgust, “EEE, I’m sure.”

 

[mcrow]

Of course, it’s your personal choice not to attend non-catholic services but the church does not forbid it.

The only thing you should not do is take part in their “communion”.

 

[EnglishTeacher]

After attending Protestant weddings and funerals, and even a Catholic/Muslim wedding, I have decided at the age of fifty-five to stop attending any service that is not Catholic. I feel very ill at ease in a Protestant or House of Worship which isn’t Christian. For instance, my Catholic cousin married a Catholic/Jewish woman and I’m close to them and their sons, but when both boys had their Bar Mitzvah, I did not attend, nor did I give a gift. I don’t feel right going to a synagogue where Jesus Christ is not recognized.

I do not believe it is unchristian to abstain from attending services which are non-Catholic. I would like to hear, however, from those who agree and those who don’t to widen my perspective. Please be kind, howeve , and be aware that attending these services exacerbate an anxiety problem I have. For instance, the son of a friend of mine who calls me uncle married two weeksa ago. He has told me he’s an atheist and he wrote the entire wedding ceremony (who knows what it had? --he’s not hostile to the Church, however), and I did not attend. However, I did send him a gift to let him know I love him.

I once read that Queen Elizabeth does not attend any service that’s not Anglican and found it a bit off-putting. But now, I find myself in the same situation.

As far as I know, you are not required to attend any non-Catholic services; and if your conscience is bothering you about attending them, I would say that it is fine for you not to go. (Of course, as you know, and as others have pointed out, you are certainly permitted to attend Protestant and other non-Catholic services for weddings, funerals, and similar social obligations.)

For what it’s worth, I went to an Orthodox Jewish synagogue once, before I became a Catholic, just because I wanted to see what their services were like. I found it very interesting, and I enjoyed it as an observer. I think your situation is different, though. In the case of your Catholic cousin marrying a Jewish woman, perhaps you felt that you would be condoning his choice in raising his children in the Jewish faith rather than as Catholics. That being the case, especially with your conscience troubling you about it, I think you did the right thing in not attending.

Just my opinion.

 

[DavidFilmer]

I do not believe it is unchristian to abstain from attending services which are non-Catholic.

Indeed, it is not, and if you had been in this situation 50 years ago then you would not even have the choice - Catholics were forbidden to attend non-Catholic worship services. Ever since the protestant church was invented, most Catholics have been forbidden to go to one.

Only in recent years has it even been a choice (though you must not neglect your own Sunday obligation, nor receive protestant communion).

So there is nothing wrong with avoiding non-Catholic worship services. In fact, it could be considered the norm.

 

[novusCatholic]

I just posted the following in a similar thread. I’m a little uncomfortable with the idea that Catholics should not participate in non-Catholic, Christian services.

I understand the idea of not participating in Communion in a Protestant church because they do see it differently than Catholics, and it could be construed as an endorsement…But, isn’t it a stretch to say that Catholics cannot even participate in prayer or worship services with non-Catholics? Even though these fellow Christians trully love God?

Christ ate with sinners, but we can’t worship God with Protestants???

I say that we should be amoung non-Catholic Christians and be ready to witness to the Cathoic faith and help to bring them into the fullness of the Cathoilc Church.