Big day for my babysister in the Lutheran Church. Can I attend?

[HeadingBackHome]

Hi, I dont know if this thread are posten in the right forum, if not please move it for me staff

I am in the middle of my Journey towards the Catholic Church (RCIA/Classes), but I come from the protestantism and my Family are all Lutherans.

My babysister is this fall with a baptism course in the Lutheran church. She will spend the night in the church and help to make communion bread. What I wonder is, am I commiting a mortal sin if I participate in their service instead of the mass at my Catholic church?

This means a lot to both her and my mom, so what do you think? am I relieved of the mass duty that sunday?

As for the communion, I do not recieve communion in the Protestant Church any longer as I now have a Catholic view of the Eucharist, but can I make an exception just this once? I will at all costs avoid hurting my sister feelings.

Am I bound by Canon before I have converted?

Thanks for any answers that may be clarifying

God bless us all

 

[PaulfromIowa]

Catholics can attend a Lutheran service. You should not receive Lutheran communion. Your family should understand this.

As you are not yet Catholic, I do not know if you are obligated to attend Sunday Mass. However, a Lutheran service is in no way a substitute for Mass so you should make every effort to attend Mass at another time.

 

[HeadingBackHome]

Catholics can attend a Lutheran service. You should not receive Lutheran communion. Your family should understand this.

As you are not yet Catholic, I do not know if you are obligated to attend Sunday Mass. However, a Lutheran service is in no way a substitute for Mass so you should make every effort to attend Mass at another time.

Thanks for the answer. So you think im good? I would try to make it up With a mass or two during the weekdays.

Yes, it would feel wrong to me to recieve communion at their Church, but it would also feel wrong not to. If you see my point. I Guess I have to follow my catholic hart and avoid their communion.

The most important thing is that I attend though, the communion is not something I have to do

 

[ProdglArchitect]

Thanks for the answer. So you think im good? I would try to make it up With a mass or two during the weekdays.

Yes, it would feel wrong to me to recieve communion at their Church, but it would also feel wrong not to. If you see my point. I Guess I have to follow my catholic hart and avoid their communion.

The most important thing is that I attend though, the communion is not something I have to do

I’d say that you’re probably alright. As Paul said, definitely do not take part in their communion service, even if you are not Catholic yet, you should understand the inherent… emptiness of that gesture when compared to the true Eucharist. As for missing mass, you are not Catholic yet, and not yet in RCIA, so I don’t believe you are under any obligation to go. That being said, since you know that the Catholic Church is where your heart it, you may make the extra effort to go to both services. Most Catholic Churches offer a Saturday evening mass, you could attend that and then still go support your baby sitter during her event.

 

[JRTJ]

I see no problem in taking part in Lutheran or other Protestant services. Just don’t take communion there (whatever their ‘communion’ is).

Certainly, your attendance of a Protestant service oes not fulfill your obligation to attend Mass. If you can’t go on Sunday, why not go to the Saturday night Vigil if your church offers this service?

Most importantly, pray for the conversion of your family.

Peace

 

[HeadingBackHome]

As for missing mass, you are not Catholic yet, and not yet in RCIA,

I do attend some sort of class at my local Church, I think it is the same as what you call RCIA, just not as organized. I am set to convert next spring however and are very sure that my hart belongs in the one true Church

Most Catholic Churches offer a Saturday evening mass, you could attend that and then still go support your baby sitter during her event.

I dont know why I didnt think of the saturday mass. I will absoultely participate on saturday instead then. How Nice

How Nice it is when things Works out.

 

[1ke]

If you are already in the process of converting to the Catholic Church you should not receive Lutheran communion. You can attend but should not participate.

You cannot substitute a protestant service for a Catholic Mass, the obligation is to attend Mass. Although you are not under the obligation until you are fully initiated, I would encourage you to behave as if you are.

It comes down to whether or not you are serious about the Cathollic faith. If you are, you should not receive communion in a non-Catholic denomination nor should you skip Mas.s

 

[HeadingBackHome]

If you are already in the process of converting to the Catholic Church you should not receive Lutheran communion.

Thanks for making things more Clear.

Then Im most definitivley not going to recieve any “communion” at their service.
I have these feelings inside me that I would have done something wrong if I had recieved it as well. I Guess I deep down knew it would have been a betrayle to my faith to do so.

I am going to talk to my priest about these thing in the near future as well so I will know for sure if it is ok for me to miss mass that sunday. If he consider it to be a mortal sin, I will of course follow his advise.

God Bless!

 

[Magdalen2013]

It is NOT OK to miss Mass. If you can’t attend on Sunday, then go to the Vigil Mass on Saturday, which counts toward your obligation.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

I would try to make it up With a mass or two during the weekdays.

Yes, it would feel wrong to me to recieve communion at their Church, but it would also feel wrong not to. If you see my point. I Guess I have to follow my catholic hart and avoid their communion.

It is fine that you go, but do not take their communion. You don’t follow your Catholic heart, but what the Catholic church says on the matter. It says that you should not participate. Participating in their communion basically means that you accept the Lutheran doctrine. (Even if a church community says their communion is just symbolic and open to all, we are not allowed to take it because of what we believe about communion as Catholics.)