Can Catholics use Protestant churches?

  • Thread starter Thread starter IlCajetan
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
You would still need to go to a Catholic Mass to fulfill your obligation; which is truly a joy.
 
annad347 said:
God is present everywhere . Jesus was God’s physical presence while He was on earth.
Click to expand...
Yes, but God’s presence is concentrated in the Eucharistic Presence, as it was in the the "Holy of Holies, during OT times.
 
Thanks. Good to learn more about the process of consecration/deconsecration.

It turns out the demographics of that neighborhood where the church is located to which I was referring has changed over the years.

That neighborhood now has a burgeoning hispanic population, most of whom are Catholic. There wasn’t another Catholic church in the vicinity, so it sounds like a win-win situation for everyone.
 
No, God is spiritually present when 2 or 3 are gathered in his name. Doesn’t have to be in church either, could be on my front steps, could be on Zoom.

But he is only physically present in the consecrated Eucharist. And only Catholic, Orthodox, and maybe a tiny handful of Anglican priests with valid succession can consecrate the Eucharist. That is Church teaching.

It’s also Catholic teaching that Protestant and Catholic churches are not simply interchangeable.
 
Last edited:
Tis_Bearself said:
No, God is spiritually present when 2 or 3 are gathered in his name.
Click to expand...
That’s not what God said, that’s He is only spiritually present.
I’m AM among them. it’s in a Catholic Bible.
Tis_Bearself said:
It’s also Catholic teaching that Protestant and Catholic churches are not simply interchangeable.
Click to expand...
That’s not what I said… I said, the only thing you can not say is that God isn’t present.
 
Last edited:
Forgive me for going a little off topic here, but I can’t help but notice you have Catholic/Lutheran/Christian in your profile. How do you manage to be both a Catholic and a Lutheran? Or are you still trying to decide between the two?

Perhaps you have already explained this in some other thread? Feel free to point me to it if so.
 
We’re way off topic from the thread. I’d suggest maybe you start a new thread if you want to have a Scripture argument with those who care to discuss. I’ve presented the Catholic teaching, and don’t have any more to add, especially since this isn’t really responsive to the OP’s topic.
 
Last edited:
Polak said:
How do you manage to be both a Catholic and a Lutheran? Or are you still trying to decide between the two?
Click to expand...
I’m not allowed to answer that publically, private message me if you want to know.
 
It’s unfortunate that every time us Catholics point out the Catholic teaching about the Real Presence, a non-Catholic takes issue with it. This has happened repeatedly on threads where the topic comes up.
But this is a central teaching of our Church, and it is what it is.
 
Protestant churches are architecturally “stripped down,” intentionally. I was watching a television show on the restoration of an old Scottish Free Church (Protestant) in the Hebrides Islands. The restored church had plain white walls and plain woodwork only, Not even stained glass windows.

This was explained as a virtue: "Nothing to distract from the word of God."

Protestantism, since Martin Luther, emphasizes the “printed word of God…and nothing else.” This change came about after 1500 years of Catholics reading the Bible AND practicing the oral traditions of the Church.

Because Protestantism dispensed with Oral Tradition, much discerned knowledge by the Catholic Church has been lost to them. This includes emphasis on the Blessed Mother, Saints, Angels, demons, trans substantiation of the Host, and Sacraments like Confession and Holy Matrimony (divorce more permissible among Protestants). There is a schismatic tendency among Protestant denominations to fragment themselves into ever smaller units, unlike the Catholic effort to promote unity in the Church, as a virtue.

Protestants sometimes accuse the Catholic Church of “superstition,” because Protestantism is more steeped in the rationalism of this present world. Modern Protestantism is a product of “the reformation” 1517 - 1648 (a period of religious, political, and intellectual upheaval), “the enlightenment” 1715 - 1789 (Lucifer being the “light bearer”) also called by some “the age of reason,” and other modern “progressive” movements such as “feminism.” The latter makes the contemplation of female clergy, divorce, and possibly even abortion acceptable in some Protestant circles.

The Catholic Church and modern Protestantism are spiritually quite different.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
I’d suggest maybe you start a new thread if you want to have a Scripture discussion with those who care to discuss.
Click to expand...
Would you participate?

I only said God was present everywhere, everything else about the Catholic church that is not in a Protestant church is true, except that God isn’t present. He is every where.

So would you participate if I started a thread discussing, not arguing Scripture?
 
annad347 said:
40.png
phil19034:
The Physical Presence of Christ is not there.
Click to expand...
God is present everywhere. Jesus was God’s physical presence while He was on earth.

Say what you want about a Proyestant church, they have no authority, no sacraments, no saints, no “real” Ecuahrist, they have no Apostles (???).

But you can not say when they praise and glorify God or when they pray and worship Him that God is not present.
Click to expand...
You totally misunderstood me.

Yes, God is everywhere via the Holy Spirit.

But Jesus Christ is PHYSICALLY present when He is on Earth. Jesus was physically present when he was alive in His Humanity. However, Jesus is also physically present every single time a Catholic or Orthodox priest consecrates bread & water into the Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity of Jesus Christ.

So every time at Mass & Divine Liturgy in Catholic & Orthodox Churches, after the the time of consecration, Jesus is PHYSICALLY present as the bread & wine ceases to be bread & wine and has been mystically & literally transformed into the actually Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity of Jesus Christ.

In other words, at that point in the Mass and/or Divine Liturgy, there is no more bread & wine. Only Jesus’s Body & Blood.

NOW - the reason why I said Jesus is not physically present in the Protestant Church is because:
  1. protestants don’t believe the exact same thing as Catholics & the Orthodox in regard the Eucharist
  2. Catholics also often keep extra consecrated Hosts in our Tabernacles. Therefore, whenever the tabernacle candle is lit, we know that Jesus is Physically sitting inside the Tabernacle IN ADDITION to the Holy Spirit being present too.
In closing:
  • Yes, Protestant Churches have the Holy Spirit in them.
  • But, Catholic Churches typically have BOTH the Holy Spirit present & Jesus Christ Physically present (unless the Tabernacle is empty)
Please understand the nuance I’m speaking with. This is not a bash on Protestants. It’s just a simple fact that we believe two different things in regards to the Eucharist.

God Bless
 
IlCajetan said:
should I not treat it with the same respect as I do a Catholic Church?
Click to expand...
You should treat it with the same respect. You’re a “guest in their house”.
IlCajetan said:
could I attend mass at one, taken that I also attend mass at a Catholic Church on the same Sunday?
Click to expand...
My wife and family always goes to church with me when I go home to visit my parents. They actually quite enjoy it.
 
I believe this is directed at me:

I never said they were.

I said my Wife and family (kids) attend my church when we go to visit my parents. They are known by almost everyone and enjoy attending.
 
mary77 said:
what are you respecting in the protestant church exactly?
Click to expand...
St. Paul perhaps has an answer:

“ 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ”

As Christians we approach all with humility and respect. You first, me second.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top