Participation of Non Catholics in Mass

[bmkindi]

I recently witnessed a Muslim saying the prayers of the faithful during mass attended by several Bishops. I was confused as i have known participation in mass especially those roles where one leads others like in the readings or prayers of the faithful is a reserve for baptised christians. are non christians allowed full participation in the liturgy, especially Mass?

 

[Vico]

Yes they may participate, but not receive the Holy Eucharist. The prayers of the faithful are normally intentions: a) for the needs of the Church;
b) for public authorities and the salvation of the whole world;
c) for those burdened by any kind of difficulty;
d) for the local community.

 

[Dhugz]

I recently witnessed a Muslim saying the prayers of the faithful during mass attended by several Bishops. I was confused as i have known participation in mass especially those roles where one leads others like in the readings or prayers of the faithful is a reserve for baptised christians. are non christians allowed full participation in the liturgy, especially Mass?

Yes they are allowed to do so, but they are not allowed to receive the communion.

 

[thistle]

I recently witnessed a Muslim saying the prayers of the faithful during mass attended by several Bishops. I was confused as i have known participation in mass especially those roles where one leads others like in the readings or prayers of the faithful is a reserve for baptised christians. are non christians allowed full participation in the liturgy, especially Mass?

Any non-Catholics may participate in Mass. As others have said they simply may not receive Communion.

 

[MarkThompson]

I recently witnessed a Muslim saying the prayers of the faithful during mass attended by several Bishops. I was confused as i have known participation in mass especially those roles where one leads others like in the readings or prayers of the faithful is a reserve for baptised christians. are non christians allowed full participation in the liturgy, especially Mass?

In general, no, they are not. However, members of other churches and ecclesial communities may from time to time be afforded certain roles in the Catholic liturgy. By way of example, here are a few of the prescriptions laid down by the Holy See in Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism:
133. The reading of Scripture during a Eucharistic celebration in the Catholic Church is to be done by members of that Church. On exceptional occasions and for a just cause, the Bishop of the diocese may permit a member of another Church or ecclesial Community to take on the task of reader.

1. In the Catholic Eucharistic Liturgy, the homily which forms part of the liturgy itself is reserved to the priest or deacon, since it is the presentation of the mysteries of faith and the norms of Christian living in accordance with Catholic teaching and tradition.
   . . .
2. Members of other Churches or ecclesial Communities may be witnesses at the celebration of marriage in a Catholic church. Catholics may also be witnesses at marriages which are celebrated in other Churches or ecclesial Communities.
   You can see, for instance, that non-Catholics may never give the homily at a Catholic Mass, and that they can proclaim the readings on in exceptional circumstances and with the permission of the diocesan bishop. (This issue comes up regularly in the context of weddings, when people want their dear Presbyterian cousin or whoever to do one of the readings.)

Announcing the prayers of the faithful is not specifically mentioned in these norms, but since it is of lesser significance than proclaiming the liturgical readings it would appear, by analogy, that it could also be permitted on exceptional occasions by the bishop.

 

[bmkindi]

Thank you all for your responses. they are enlightening. I would however wish if you could also help with some references. Further, I think the line between Ecumenism and inter religious dialogue seems to have been crossed. muslims have no faith in Jesus as God. How then would they be part of the same liturgy which to the greater part is in praise of the second person of the Holy Trinity. I have a strong feeling that was wrong, but if there are any documents in support of the same i will gladly appreciate so i can share with my friends who are equally looking for answers.

 

[TypesAndShadows]

At our parish, non-Catholic Christians who attend Mass every week with their (Catholic) families have been allowed to become regular readers (as in: bidding prayers, first and second readings, psalms) in the general rota. All readers are required to receive training and are vetted by the priest, to make sure they approach it in a properly reverential manner.

I know that the priest consciously made a decision to allow these particular people to become readers, even though they are not Catholic: it isn’t an oversight. This priest has generally impressed me with his orthodoxy, charity, understanding of the faith, and enthusiasm for the liturgy. I assumed that this sort of decision was within his pastoral remit. Mark’s quote seems to suggest that isn’t the case, so I wonder if there is more written about this than just that document.

In particular, I believe the priest’s decision was informed by the fact that these people attend Mass every week with their Catholic families, contribute to parish life, and so fall within the parish even while not being in full communion with the Church. They approach Scripture with reverence, and do not receive Communion. They are not reading as representatives of another church, and if you didn’t know them personally you wouldn’t know they weren’t Catholic. I wonder if the Directory for the Application of
Principles and Norms on Ecumenism is dealing with a more “Churches Together” sort of thing, rather than the more pastoral situation?

 

[thistle]

I obviously misunderstood. I thought the question was about participating in Mass and not carrying out a particular role like reading etc because the word “participating” in Mass simply means attending Mass which any non-Catholic may do as long as they do not receive Communion.

 

[TimothyH]

Thank you all for your responses. they are enlightening. I would however wish if you could also help with some references. Further, I think the line between Ecumenism and inter religious dialogue seems to have been crossed. muslims have no faith in Jesus as God. How then would they be part of the same liturgy which to the greater part is in praise of the second person of the Holy Trinity. I have a strong feeling that was wrong, but if there are any documents in support of the same i will gladly appreciate so i can share with my friends who are equally looking for answers.

Maybe God was leading the Muslim to Christ through the bishops and through the liturgy?

Instead of looking for documents, maybe we should be praying to the Holy Spirit that it be so.

-Tim-