Attending Services of Another Faith

[Tom_Adams]

How should a Roman Catholic respond to an invitation to attend the services of another faith? (Your show me yours, I’ll show you mine) The specific invitation came from a Mormon. I declined, but what’s the teaching? - Thanks, Tom

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

If you are strong in your own faith and knowledgable about it, there is nothing wrong with attending the services of another faith as a guest, so long as you do not receive their communion and so long as you meet the Sunday Mass obligation. If, by doing so, you can then bring your friend to Mass, that’s great. Just warn your friend not to receive Catholic Communion.

That said, Mormons are highly evangelistic and one should be wary of this going in. If this is simply a Mormon friend who has asked you to attend a Mormon service and so long as you meet the other conditions outlined above, the decision to go is a matter of prudential judgment. If this is a Mormon missionary who has asked you to attend, I cannot recommend attending (or continuing discussions with the missionary) unless you are extremely knowledgable about your own faith and the Mormon faith.

For more information on Mormonism, please see these resources:

Online tracts by Catholic Answers:

catholic.com/library/noncatholic_groups.asp

*Inside Mormonism * by Isaiah Bennett:

shop.catholic.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/online-store/scstore/p-CB255.html?L+scstore+vmzp5933ffc24ac2+1123837895

*When Mormons Call * by Isaiah Bennett:

shop.catholic.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/online-store/scstore/p-CB254.html?L+scstore+vmzp5933ffc24ac2+1123837895