The issue here is that the statements by the Church after Vatican II, did not annul her teachings from before. They’re speaking about two different situations. Therefore, both statements remain enforce.
The earlier statement said that Catholics could not worship at a non-Catholic service. That has not changed. That rule remains. It has never been abrogated.
The later statement encourages Catholics to pray with non-Catholics. However, it is not encouraging Catholics to worship with non-Catholics. For Catholic theologians, there is a difference between the two. Praying with someone, even if it’s an act of worship, does not mean that this is the norm for this Catholic or for Catholics. This is done for very specific reasons, the most important one being Christian unity.
It becomes problematic when it becomes the norm for the individual. If you have a service every week at an Episcopal church and different Catholics assist in an effort to promote unity and if the Episcopalians reciprocate, then you have a valid ecumenical sharing.
If you have the same individual assisting every week, that individual has stepped onto a slippery slope. The later decree does not grant permission to make this a routine for the individual. It grants permission for the whole to have common prayer events, be it Liturgy of the Hours or some other form.
The whole would mean that Mr. X and his group pray with the Episcopalians this week. Mrs. Y and her group pray with the Baptists next week, etc. It does not mean that Mr. X and his group make it a routine or Mrs Y and her group.
There is no conflict between the earlier rule and what was added later. The rule remains the same. Catholics may not worship in a non-Catholic church, especially one that does not have a valid priesthood. Vatican II’s intent is to open the door for the possibility of special occasions, even frequent ones, with the purpose not of worshiping as a Protestant, but with the sole purpose of worshiping together as Christians.
There is a slippery slope here. The slope is that most Catholics are not educated well enough in theology and liturgy to know where the line is. At some point, they are no longer worshiping as Catholics, but as Protestants. When they attend such events, they should really be guided by a theologian or cleric who is very well versed on the rules, both earlier and later. They are not in conflict and the earlier has never been abrogated. The later has simply opened up the possibility for something that was never though of before, shared prayer, but not as the daily bread for Catholics. This is what Fr. Vincent is correctly explaining. The two statements are speaking about different things.
I hope this helps.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
:shrug:.
