Catholic teaching on visiting protestant worship services

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amoiesu

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obviously having to sit through a protestant service is not something i enjoy or seek out, but on Christmas and Easter I want to spend as much time with my family as possible and my mom who has left the Church makes it a non-negotiable part of the day together that everyone present come to her church for services. some Catholic sources make it sound like it’s a sin to attend a protestant church, and i don’t want to offend my Faith which is very precious to me, but I also don’t want to pick unnecessary fights with my mom who i also love. i’m pretty uncomfortable there, so it’s not like i’m in any danger of reverting back to protestant if i go, and we already have plenty to disagree about since she left without having arguments about how we celebrate Easter together too. advice?
 
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amoiesu said:
obviously having to sit through a protestant service is not something i enjoy or seek out, but on Christmas and Easter I want to spend as much time with my family as possible and my mom who has left the Church makes it a non-negotiable part of the day together that everyone present come to her church for services.
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I dont see it being a problem as long as you remember that God also make a non-negotiable command.

Peace!!!
 
It’s not a sin to go to a non-Catholic service.

From the CCC:
Toward unity

[820] "Christ bestowed unity on his Church from the beginning. This unity, we believe, subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time."277 Christ always gives his Church the gift of unity, but the Church must always pray and work to maintain, reinforce, and perfect the unity that Christ wills for her. This is why Jesus himself prayed at the hour of his Passion, and does not cease praying to his Father, for the unity of his disciples: "That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us, . . . so that the world may know that you have sent me."278 The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit.279

.[821] Certain things are required in order to respond adequately to this call:
  • a permanent renewal of the Church in greater fidelity to her vocation; such renewal is the driving-force of the movement toward unity;280
  • conversion of heart as the faithful “try to live holier lives according to the Gospel”;281 for it is the unfaithfulness of the members to Christ’s gift which causes divisions;
  • prayer in common , because “change of heart and holiness of life, along with public and private prayer for the unity of Christians, should be regarded as the soul of the whole ecumenical movement, and merits the name 'spiritual ecumenism;”'282
  • fraternal knowledge of each other ;283
  • ecumenical formation of the faithful and especially of priests;284
  • dialogue among theologians and meetings among Christians of the different churches and communities;285
  • collaboration among Christians in various areas of service to mankind.286 “Human service” is the idiomatic phrase.
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http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a9p3.htm
 
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It sounds, at least to me, that you have a good understanding of your faith, and no doubt or change in belief would result from attending a service with your mom. The Church doesn’t teach that it is sinful to attend a service such as you describe. Taking part it what they call the Lords supper, or communion is inappropriate because it signals an acceptance and agreement on something that is not there. Also, attending would not fulfill your obligation to attend Mass on this most holy day.
 
Nowhere does that say Catholics can attend Protestant services. I always thought we had to get permission from the Bishop to attend Protestant services.
 
A mere passive participation can be tolerated for a good reason, and of course if the risk of scandal and perversion is remote. This passive participation means you cannot pray, nor chant, etc. It appears to me to be obvious you cannot kneel either. You can however sit or stand with the others if it is to avoid singularities.
 
The parts of “prayer in common”, “fraternal knowledge of each other” and “dialogues…among Christians of the different churches” certainly suggests to me attending a Protestant service would not be a sin.

I’ve never heard that the bishop’s permission had to be sought before attending a Protestant service. I would be surprised if that were the case.
 
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It’s not a sin to go, as long as you attend fulfill your obligation But, if it were me I would respectfully tell my mother I don’t want to go. I can totally understand that you want to celebrate Easter together, but my family spends time together after church. I commend you for wanting to not fight with your mother, too many people are insensitive these days. Happy Easter!
 
GabrielZacarias said:
A mere passive participation can be tolerated for a good reason, and of course if the risk of scandal and perversion is remote. This passive participation means you cannot pray, nor chant, etc. It appears to me to be obvious you cannot kneel either. You can however sit or stand with the others if it is to avoid singularities.
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The Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism says in the section " Sharing in Non-Sacramental Liturgical Worship"
  1. By liturgical worship is meant worship carried out according to books, prescriptions and customs of a Church or ecclesial Community, presided over by a minister or delegate of that Church or Community. This liturgical worship may be of a non-sacramental kind, or may be the celebration of one or more of the Christian sacraments. The concern here is non-sacramental worship.
  2. In liturgical celebrations taking place in other Churches and ecclesial Communities, Catholics are encouraged to take part in the psalms, responses, hymns and common actions of the Church in which they are guests. If invited by their hosts, they may read a lesson or preach.
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Well, what I said I have read in a good moral theology book. It is a complicated question then. However, if that is some difference, it was then vigent Canon Law Code of 1917.
But you sure this is not only on specifically ecumenical acts? You see, it is written “in which they are guests”.
 
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this is the evangelical sort, so there won’t be any of that. more like singing some popular christian songs reading scripture and hearing a sermon.
 
but does it say protestants are infidels and heretics? i thought we were supposed to consider “separated brethren”.
 
For these matters, we are guided by the living Magisterium. The Church is much more relaxed in her approach to Protestants today than it was then…
 
The Church considers Protestants our “seperated brethren”. We do not call them heretics and infidels anymore.
 
Objectively speaking ,yes, a Protestant Church as a whole we can say teaches heresy… But each individual member may not have full knowledge of their heresy so all Protestants may not be formal heretics but all Protestants are material heretics. Nothing wrong with saying our separated brothers and sisters. Just to eliminate the word heretic from theology and speaking about these things is political correctness non sense.
 
No, this is nonsense.
Heresy is a specific charge, to be brought against a person by the competent authority, I.e.,the Church.
 
We can say teachings or sects are heretical because the Church has called them heretical and defined what heresy is.
 
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