Catholics when you invite a protestant or non Christian to mass do you/should you tell them to kneel/stand?

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On the occasions when I’ve had non-Catholics attend mass with me or attend an event such as my wedding, we have invited them to do whatever they feel comfortable doing. We show them the mass in the missal and invite them to sit, stand, or kneel as they choose.
 
Sure, I tell them to follow my lead, although I think most intelligent people can figure that out without being told.

If I was a episcopalian or greek catholic liturgy, I would do the same, pay attention to those around me so i would know what to do myself.
 
I do what our pastor does:
He says : Please kneel or sit, according ot your custom.
 
We often get visitors at Baptisms, Christmas and Easter, and Funerals. The Priest usually announces let’s stand to …or kneel or sit to …
 
I would just tell them to do as the people do, if they would like.
But if they would just like and sit and watch, that would be okay.
 
It would be a lot to explain all the times you stand, sit, or kneel. I would tell them there will be a lot of getting up and down. I would tell them to follow the lead of everyone else. I would explain there are kneelers for the appropriate time and that they can sit or kneel then. I would say during communion they can just step out of their pew to let anyone by and then remain in their pew. I think that about covers it.
 
I appreciated that my friend said I could stand, sit, kneel, whatever I was comfortable with. I stood and sat, did not kneel. She also showed me the missal and song books.
 
Guest1 said:
At the appropriate times?
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My daughter’s fiance, a non-Catholic, which he readily agreed to come. I told him before hand it was not necessary for him to kneel, but he could stand and sat when people knelt.

(He just followed whatever we did - sat, stood and knelt.)
 
When my non-Catholic husband goes to Mass with me, he pretty much does what everybody else is doing. The only exceptions are I have to remind him to genuflect or bow when he passes in front of the altar/ tabernacle, and he has difficulty with kneeling and sometimes with standing because of physical issues and the fact that some of the pews, especially in old churches, were made for people much smaller than himself. I am always telling him he can just sit down if he’s uncomfortable.
 
I wouldn’t have thought a non-Catholic would be expected to genuflect if they don’t believe in the presence.
 
ConfusedLucy said:
I wouldn’t have thought a non-Catholic would be expected to genuflect if they don’t believe in the presence.
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That’s his argument. We debate whether he actually believes in it or not (long story) and I also feel that in the case where he has several close Catholic family members (his mother was former Catholic, his uncle and aunt whom we are close to are Catholic, and I am Catholic) he needs to be respectful.
If this were a more distant friend I would not be pushing them to genuflect or bow if not comfortable.
 
A bow is surely not asking too much. I bow to the altar if I am in a church where others are bowing, and I’m not even a believer. It seems to me like good manners.
 
I’d maybe worry it could be seen as hypocrisy if I was known to be a non-believer in the presence.
 
Yes, I know. That is a concern, but it also applies to joining in hymns etc. But I do that too. If I am in church, it seems to me it would be offensive to draw attention to my disbelief. And anyway, I have respect for what the Church believes, and I think it not inappropriate to show that respect.
 
Yeah, I said a little bow would be sufficient. I’m not looking for forehead touching the floor. Just give a nod, I’m good with that. I just don’t like to see people who are Christ-believers and are close to multiple Catholics on a regular basis for years doing absolutely nothing at all.
 
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When Wellington was in command in Portugal he instructed his troops to present arms when the Host was carried past them in the street. Wellington was most certainly not a Catholic, but he believed proper respect should be shown.
 
Reuben_J said:
(He just followed whatever we did - sat, stood and knelt.)
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As most people would, if they can.

People don’t care to draw attention to themselves and they don’t want to embarrass their host either. Remember, this isn’t someone coming to a mass to do “opposition research” for an evangelical group doing an outreach to Catholics. They are there as a guest for social reasons.
 
When I invite non-Catholics to go to Mass with me I explain that there will be standing, sitting and kneeling. Some of them kneel and some don’t. I tell them to do what they are comfortable with.
 
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