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Genesis315
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Here is how Vatican II stated the divine law:
There have always been exceptions that have allowed communicatio in sacris when there is a greater good to be had and the dangers above are avoided. Mixed marriages are the quintessential example and have always been allowed, even if at times as an exception or requiring a dispensation. Furthermore, Catholics have been allowed to receive other sacraments administered by non-Catholics when necessary and the dangers are avoided.
Common prayer when seeking unity has also generally been allowed. Such prayers were offered up at the reunion Councils, while common participation in the Eucharist was not. Similarly, the Holy Office under Pius XII in 1949 did the same in its instruction regarding ecumenical meetings:
As can be seen above, whether a particular example of common prayer and worship is of the kind that violates the divine law is a question of fact. No doubt, in the past a Catholic going to a non-Catholic church and joining in was seen as witnessing against the unity of the Church, which is why there was a blanket forbidding. None could dispense from this kind of thing.
However, as history shows, not all forms of common worship and prayer violate the divine law like that, and the Church has permitted some at times. Certainly, our pastors have judged the danger to be present a lot less these days. That’s a question of fact that can be debated (and I personally find much of it unwise).
(an aside on Pius XI’s Mortalium Animos–it is addressing a specific kind of assembly or society. See Mortalium Animos 7. It is addressing pan-Christian societies that state the unity of Christ’s Church has failed, that the Church now consists of various separated branches which are to be reconciled and united by compromise of their differences. They sought to establish a visible Communion based on the lowest common denominator or compromises in doctrine. Clearly a Catholic could not join such a group since the ends are evil. This is different than the kind permitted by Pius XII and Vatican II, where the Catholics are ostensibly working to seek true unity and common prayer is used for this purpose).
Clearly not all common prayer and worship does this. If a non-Catholic shows up at Mass and prays and worships along with the Catholics, there is technically a situation of common worship. But clearly no one thinks it hits any any of the above problems (giving the person the Sacrament might though) and was not forbidden in the past.
There have always been exceptions that have allowed communicatio in sacris when there is a greater good to be had and the dangers above are avoided. Mixed marriages are the quintessential example and have always been allowed, even if at times as an exception or requiring a dispensation. Furthermore, Catholics have been allowed to receive other sacraments administered by non-Catholics when necessary and the dangers are avoided.
Common prayer when seeking unity has also generally been allowed. Such prayers were offered up at the reunion Councils, while common participation in the Eucharist was not. Similarly, the Holy Office under Pius XII in 1949 did the same in its instruction regarding ecumenical meetings:
Clearly from this sentence alone we can glean there is a difference between forbidden common worship and permitted common worship (of which common prayer is a form).
As can be seen above, whether a particular example of common prayer and worship is of the kind that violates the divine law is a question of fact. No doubt, in the past a Catholic going to a non-Catholic church and joining in was seen as witnessing against the unity of the Church, which is why there was a blanket forbidding. None could dispense from this kind of thing.
However, as history shows, not all forms of common worship and prayer violate the divine law like that, and the Church has permitted some at times. Certainly, our pastors have judged the danger to be present a lot less these days. That’s a question of fact that can be debated (and I personally find much of it unwise).
(an aside on Pius XI’s Mortalium Animos–it is addressing a specific kind of assembly or society. See Mortalium Animos 7. It is addressing pan-Christian societies that state the unity of Christ’s Church has failed, that the Church now consists of various separated branches which are to be reconciled and united by compromise of their differences. They sought to establish a visible Communion based on the lowest common denominator or compromises in doctrine. Clearly a Catholic could not join such a group since the ends are evil. This is different than the kind permitted by Pius XII and Vatican II, where the Catholics are ostensibly working to seek true unity and common prayer is used for this purpose).
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