Interreligious events in Catholc Churches-- licit?

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Trying2overcome

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I know that ecunemical (between Catholic and non-Catholic christians) services are allowed in Catholic churches. But are Non-Christians allowed to perform their ceremonies, say their prayers, etc. in Catholic Churches? Are Christians and non-Christians allowed to pray together in Catholic Churches? Is it licit according to current Church Law?

Thank You.
 
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I think the best way to look into answering this question is inter religious weddings. None are permitted in churches, but instead at a neutral site with a dispensation from the Bishop. With this in mind, events requiring Clergy from multiple religions are probably not a great idea. However, by no means are people from other religions discouraged from coming to the church to pray. The church represents the universality of the faithful, so by allowing the faithful from other religious affiliations to attend the mass or any other prayerful event OR silent prayer and meditation, this can be a means to both evangelize and/or catechize.
 
Trying2overcome said:
But are Non-Christians allowed to perform their ceremonies, say their prayers, etc. in Catholic Churches?
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Non-Catholic’s right, what kind of prayers or ceremonies do you think Non-Catholics perform that Catholic wouldn’t be able to participate in? Not being sarcastic, seriously asking, are there prayers or ceremonies, Non-Catholics say that Catholics should not?

I’d be more interested about how Non-Catholic’s handle Catholic prayers, they don’t pray without being disrespectful.

I think anytime Catholics and Non-Catholics do anything together is a blessing. Uniting all Christians should be something that’s done on a regular bases. Maybe then we’ll realize we’re not as separate in our beliefs as we think.
 
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There are two answers to the question. First, non-catholics are allowed to pray with non-Catholics in Catholic Churches. I would think this could be done formally in a parish, too, though then the parish might need the permission of the bishop.
The second answer is that Catholics should in no way compromise their faith. They should not drop Catholic beliefs to please non-Catholics, and, for example, gloss over Catholic beliefs and practices that non-Catholics do not accept in any discussions that are made. The only way in fact that ecumenical progress can be made is an unashamed willingness to say what both parties believe, and then go forward from that.
By the way, there are horror stories of what has been done in the name of togetherness. A priest I knew in a Wisconsin had a concelebrated mass with a Protestant minister. (The bishop heard of this, and showed his displeasure.)
 
There certainly are notorious precedents of common prayer in churches involving non-Christians.

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Trying2overcome said:
Are Christians and non-Christians allowed to pray together in Catholic Churches?
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I should hope so. I invited Jewish and Muslim people to my Catholic wedding which included a Mass, it was perfectly okay to invite them, and it is my hope that they said some kind of a prayer for me in their own tradition while they were sitting in the church for an hour and a half.
 
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Trying2overcome said:
But are Non-Christians allowed to perform their ceremonies, say their prayers, etc. in Catholic Churches?
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Are you by any chance talking about a Catholic parish renting out its facilities to non-Catholic Christians to hold their worship services and other meetings?

I’ve seen this before, e.g., when a Protestant church is burned down or destroyed in a tornado.

Personally, I think it is a loving act by the Catholic parishes who do this when the Protestant (separated) brothers and sisters are in dire need of a large worship space. Many Catholic parishes have large spaces in their basement fellowship halls, or in their parish schools, that could be rented out to non-Catholic Christian groups.

I have not seen it done in a Catholic nave, although I suppose if Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament were moved, it could be done.

Our large parish has booked AGO concerts in our nave, open to the public. Our pipe organ is quite spectacular, designed by a formerly-practicing Catholic who is a fantastic organist (now moved out of our state and playing in a large city).

I personally think that if a parish is in need of funds, renting out its spaces would be one source of income, and to be honestl, I don’t even see a problem with leaving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in the space. He is capable of drawing people to Himself!
 
People seem confused as to what im talking about. Im not talking about inviting, as private individuals, non Christians to weddings or Mass. Im talking about official ceremonies wherin the Pastor invites non Christians
 
Trying2overcome said:
People seem confused as to what im talking about.
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Because it’s not very clear.
Trying2overcome said:
Im talking about official ceremonies wherin the Pastor invites non Christians
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Yes.

Our local Catholic parish has an ecumenical Thanksgiving service every year with the Methodist church. It rotates between our two churches. We also rotate yearly in hosting a baccalaureate service for our high school seniors.

Did you have some specific situation in mind or just prayer services in general?
 
Yes, in Assisi.

It is a picture of the 1986 inter-faith meeting for peace organized by pope John Paul II.

ETA : in the background, you can recognize the Portiuncula – the small church built inside of the Papal basilica St Mary of the Angels.

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annad347 said:
Non-Catholic’s right, what kind of prayers or ceremonies do you think Non-Catholics perform that Catholic wouldn’t be able to participate in? Not being sarcastic, seriously asking, are there prayers or ceremonies, Non-Catholics say that Catholics should not?
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For example liturgies of Churches we believe do not have Apostolic Succession (and therefore valid Eucharist). I mean, Catholics can technically stand by but they can not participate fully (receive “Eucharist”). Then perhaps prayers that would be against Catholic Faith (for example praying some Pagan prayers would not be too cool).
 
1ke said:
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Trying2overcome:
People seem confused as to what im talking about.
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Because it’s not very clear.
Trying2overcome said:
Im talking about official ceremonies wherin the Pastor invites non Christians
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Yes.

Our local Catholic parish has an ecumenical Thanksgiving service every year with the Methodist church. It rotates between our two churches. We also rotate yearly in hosting a baccalaureate service for our high school seniors.

Did you have some specific situation in mind or just prayer services in general?
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He specifically says “non-Christians”. I don’t think Methodists fall in that category. I know we let non-Catholic Christians use our churches if there is a need. Would we let our churches be used by members of the Muslim, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon, or Bahá’i faiths for their services? I’m not sure about that. I’ve never seen it done.
 
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@Trying2overcome, did you mean Non-Christians or Non-Catholics? your OP says both. I thought the Non-Christian part was a typo. 🙂

If you meant Non-Christians, maybe your pastor invited them to your church service for a specific reason, with specific understanding of the service they were going to have. Maybe he was hoping to convert to Christ?

Did your priest explain the event that was going to take place that day, was it a full church service or a specific special service?
 
Our town has a weekly prayer gathering of ministers. All denominations are welcome, it is hosted at a different worship place each time. It is beautiful to witness people who may have never set foot in a Catholic church before walk in, pray and sing together.
ktfranke said:
I think the best way to look into answering this question is inter religious weddings. None are permitted in churches, but instead at a neutral site with a dispensation from the Bishop.
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Catholics marry non-Catholics and Non Christians validly in the Catholic Church. The Bishop’s permission is to enter the mixed marriage. Nothing forbids mixed marriages in your Parish church or in the Cathedral or in the Vatican for that matter.

We have an annual service of Lessons and Carols where we welcome choirs from any area faith community to participate.
 
Under church law, it is up to the bishop. However, he is bound to make this judgment according to divine law, which Vatican II states as:
Common participation in worship which harms the unity of the Church or involves formal acceptance of error or the danger of aberration in the faith, of scandal and indifferentism, is forbidden by divine law.
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In the past, our pastors were much more sensitive to the kind of danger and witness that violated this divine law–so much so that such common prayers were generally forbidden (with exceptions made here and there) on these grounds. In more recent times, for better or worse, our pastors seem to take a much, much less cautious approach (personally it often seems they are not even considering this divine law…)

Since the above divine law applies to Christians in the context above, it is all the more an issue with non-Christians.

In fact, when it comes to non-Christians, we can’t really pray together in common (which is different than just praying in the same place). Here’s how Cardinal Kasper put it (he tends to be more open than most to interrreligious stuff):
The ecumenical dialogue and the interreligious dialogue are connected and overlap, but are not identical with each other another. There is a specific, qualitative difference between them and, therefore, they should not be confused. Ecumenical dialogues are not only based on the tolerance and respect due for every human and religious conviction; nor are they founded solely on liberal philanthropy or mere polite courtesy; on the contrary, ecumenical dialogue is rooted in the common faith in Jesus Christ and the reciprocal recognition of baptism, which means that all the baptized become members of the one Body of Christ (cf. Gal 3,28); I Cor 12,13; Ut unum sint, n. 42) and can pray the"Our Father” together, as Jesus taught us. In other religions the Church recognizes a ray of that truth “that enlightens every man” (Jn 1,9), but is revealed in its fullness only in Jesus Christ; only he is “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14,6; cf. Nostra aetate, n. 2). It is therefore ambiguous to refer to interreligious dialogue in terms of macro-ecumenism or of a new and vaster phase of ecumenism.

Christians and the followers of other religions can pray, but cannot pray together. Every form of syncretism is to be excluded.
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http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/p...pc_chrstuni_doc_20020107_peace-kasper_en.html
 
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