How to behave in Non-Catholic Churches

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Claude_Frollo

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Hi,

As a Catholic should we bow or make the sign of the Cross as we enter either a Protestant or an Orthodox Chruch and except these how should we behave ?

What are your opinions ?
 
Claude_Frollo said:
Hi,

As a Catholic should we bow or make the sign of the Cross as we enter either a Protestant or an Orthodox Chruch ?

What are your opinions ?
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No. There is no Real Presence in those churches. I will only make the sign of the cross in a Catholic or Orthodox church.
 
No. There is no Real Presence in those churches. I will only make the sign of the cross in a Catholic or Orthodox church.
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This means you accept the Real Presence in an Orthodox Chruch.
 
Are you asaking the opinion of Catholics or noncatholics?
Jon
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I wrote especially “As a catholic” but why not ? everyone can tell his opinion
 
I didn’t actually answer the title question. If in a Protestant Church one must show respect to the congregation and their beliefs. We must not participate in the service however we may observe, if we do this then we must show the utmost of respect, for they have allowed us in to their place of worship.

‘‘Do unto others’’ anyone?
 
Claude_Frollo said:
Hi,

As a Catholic should we bow or make the sign of the Cross as we enter either a Protestant or an Orthodox Chruch and except these how should we behave ?

What are your opinions ?
Click to expand...
No - Protestants themselves don’t do either of these things, and for good reason - there is nothing to bow/genuflect to, and no reason to make the Sign of the Cross.

In general, simply listen politely. Don’t participate in their Holy Communion (nor with the Orthodox - the reason is that we are not in union with them; it has nothing to do with whether they have, or think they have the Real Presence - even if they do have, they are still in schism from us). Also don’t participate in any other way that could be construed by onlookers as approval of their doctrines or as a kind of “we’re all the same, anyway” style of indifferentism.
 
Claude_Frollo said:
I wrote especially “As a catholic” but why not ? everyone can tell his opinion
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Were you to visit my Lutheran Church, I would expect you to act with reference, just as you would expect me to in your Catholic Church. Should you choose to cross yourself, you would not be out of place as some, though not all, Lutherans do.

Signs of your reverence would not be met with disdain, but respect. Genuflecting might identify you as nonLutheran, but would not be met with hostility or even concern. We would not expect you to receive the Eucharist as we practice close communion, just as the Catholic Church does (pray for the day when we can celebrate His supper together).

You would be a welcome sibling in Christ.
Jon
 
Why not make the sign of the Cross? Is it not good to do so before all prayer, and aren’t you going to pray while there - FOR the non-Catholics if not with them?

And Jesus IS Himself present, although not in the same way or to the same degree as in the Blessed Sacrament in a Catholic or Orthodox Church - He Himself said ‘where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in their midst’. I think that in itself is enough reason to make the sign of the Cross when attending a non-Catholic Christian Church. 🤷
 
Why would you need to pray FOR them and not just WITH them, Lily?
 
I am confused why it would be incorrect to make the sign of the cross anywhere but in a Catholic church.

When we pray before dinner, we make the sign of the cross.

When I pray the rosary at home, I make the sign of the cross.

Why, when praying with my Protestant friends would it be incorrect to make the sign of the cross?

As far as genuflecting before entering the pew, it is my understanding that is done b/c of the presence of Christ in the Eucharist in the tabernacle at the altar. I probably would not genuflect in a Protestant church as there is no tabernacle.

I am no Miss Manners when it comes to this so I will be watching this thread with interest.🍿
 
Steadfast said:
Why would you need to pray FOR them and not just WITH them, Lily?
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That they might see the Truth in its fullness, and join the Catholic Church, that they might cease to be separated brethren.

And of course for their various needs and worries.

Lily good point about the Sign of the Cross however I would be careful, in case the non Catholics think I am doing it because of where I am and not because of who I am
 
Claude_Frollo said:
Hi,

As a Catholic should we bow or make the sign of the Cross as we enter either a Protestant or an Orthodox Chruch and except these how should we behave ?

What are your opinions ?
Click to expand...
In Anglican churches, there is a custom of genuflection, although the understanding of the ‘Real Presence’ varies among Epsicopalians and although Catholics do not believe that Anglican priests have real orders. You might genuflect out of respect for the customs of the church you are attending so long as no impression is being conveyed that you accept that the Anglican orders are valid or that the Eucharist is likely to be validly confected.

Outside of the Anglicans I don’t think there are any other Protestant Churches which genuflect. You could not participate in any active way in the services, nor accept Holy Communion.

Among autocephaelous Catholic Churches there is a likelihood that there is a Real Presence in the Tabernacle. You would behave as you would in an Orthodox Church: you would be respectful especially to the Real Presence of Christ in the service, but you would not usually take part–except in cases of dire emergency, with no Catholic priest available.

Hope that helps.
 
Steadfast said:
Why would you need to pray FOR them and not just WITH them, Lily?
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So that all non-Catholics may become one flock under one Shepherd alongside us, sharing the fullness of the one Truth, in the one church founded by Christ and built on the rock of Peter, as Christ Himself intended.

Are you not in your denomination or church, whichever it may be, because you either believe it holds the fullness of truth or at least because it is the best possible one? Do you not wish all others to join it alongside you? Don’t you pray for Christian unity along those lines? Surely Jesus didn’t intend us to be fragmented as we are, believing all different manner of things as we do.

And if you do not believe some or all of the above, frankly, why bother being a member of any church at all, you’d do just as well on your own.

For that matter, why bother believing in a saviour who is so incompetent as not to be able to leave us a single infallible and authoritative leadership to pass on His teachings, which we surely need in this day and age, just as He Himself was single, infallible and authoritative?
 
Just seems awfully condescending…of course we should all covet the prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ for our various needs but to pray that they become Catholic, DURING THEIR WORSHIP SERVICE?

Wow.

Just wow.

Cojones.
 
Steadfast said:
Just seems awfully condescending…of course we should all covet the prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ for our various needs but to pray that they become Catholic, DURING THEIR WORSHIP SERVICE?

Wow.

Just wow.

Cojones.
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No condescension involved. We don’t proclaim that we are right on our own merits, nor that as individuals we are somehow ‘better’ than our brothers, rather simply that Catholicism is the fullness of truth.

How could anyone of true faith do otherwise than want the whole world to come to that exact same faith? Jesus commanded the Apostles to teach ‘ALL that I have commanded you’ - how then can we be satisfied with teaching just SOME of it, or hoping and praying that people will accept just SOME of it?

Faith that does not desire to teach others ALL that Christ has commanded us is lukewarm at best.

Paul visited the synagogues of most towns he entered on his missionary journeys. You think it was just to worship according to the Jewish faith? Absolutely not - he himself made it clear that it was to convert them to HIS faith.

And did not Paul, out of that same zeal, ALSO chastise those who, while striving, no doubt sincerely for the most part, to follow Christ as he did, strayed, in ways both large and small, from the full gospel message?

Jesus Himself did much more than just quietly pray for conversions as I have said - He preached HIS truth from the pulpit itself, during Sabbath services! And physically chastised those in the Temple who weren’t worshipping according to His lights!

So we’re no more condescending, and have no more or less ‘cojones’, than our Saviour and the great St Paul before us.
 
Claude_Frollo said:
Hi,

As a Catholic should we bow or make the sign of the Cross as we enter either a Protestant or an Orthodox Chruch and except these how should we behave ?

What are your opinions ?
Click to expand...
I was recently at the wedding of a young couple in a non catholic church.I generally behaved as those others who were present BUT before and after prayers for the couple,I punctuated those prayers with the sign of the cross.Didn’t Christ say wherever two or three are gathered in my name,I will be there.(I’m not referring to His Eucharistic Presence.)🙂
 
Steadfast said:
Just seems awfully condescending…of course we should all covet the prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ for our various needs but to pray that they become Catholic, DURING THEIR WORSHIP SERVICE?

Wow.

Just wow.

Cojones.
Click to expand...
Well - if someone was standing in middle of the aisle shouting, “LORD, MAKE THESE PEOPLE CATHOLIC”, I’d agree with you. But as long as the prayer is silent, why not?

We’ve had Protestants visiting our church and it wouldn’t bother me at all to find out they were silently praying for our conversion. In fact, if they honestly believe their church is the only one that leads to Heaven, I’d be kind of offended if they weren’t praying for me to convert! 😉
 
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