Protestant Choir

[Buckeye1]

My wife sang in our Parish choir. The cantor was a Lutheran women who is the wife of a Lutheran minister. The new priest at our parish did not wish for the cantor to continue and ended her service. My wife loved to sing with her and was asked by the cantor to come sing in her Lutheran church choir on Sundays. My wife remains Catholic and goes to mass with our family. Is it acceptable for her, as a Catholic, to sing in a choir at a Lutheran church on Sundays?

 

[BartholomewB]

Yes, I believe it is acceptable, though it’s a situation that has never arisen in any parish where I have attended Mass regularly.

When you say that the new priest in your parish didn’t wish the Lutheran woman to remain as cantor, are you saying that he wanted to get rid of her because she was Lutheran? If so, I find that surprising, though once again I have had no personal knowledge of cases of this kind.

 

[Buckeye1]

I do not think he ended her service as the cantor because she is Lutheran, it just seemed to be his decision with the Parish Music Director to move in a different direction. It was all cordial as far as I know. She is a very talented singer and my wife enjoys singing with her. I just want to be sure that her singing in a Lutheran choir every Sunday is acceptable. I have read that active participation in a solely non-Catholic service, especially on a regular basis, is not acceptable. She is going to also talk to out Priest about it. I just wanted some other’s thoughts and maybe a clear answer.

 

[Mintaka]

If a Catholic goes to Mass, these days she is free to attend Protestant services also, or to be paid to do music for a Protestant group.

The problem is that hymns are profoundly theological, and that worship with one’s body is just as deeply intimate. So personally, I do not think I could do it. Others are able to regard this sort of thing as just another gig. It depends a lot on the person.

But I know a lot of people who have converted to the religion of their choir. So… Yeah, it depends a lot on the person.

 

[Buckeye1]

I have researched it and some well known and respected Priest/Theologians have addressed the issue to where I believe that my wife should no longer attend a full Sunday of Lutheran (Protestant) services to sing in the choir with her friend. Under Divine Law it clearly would be actively participating in a non-Catholic service which is sinful. My wife and I have looked at everything together and still have a meeting scheduled with our Priest but it seems more than clear to me that she should not be so invested in a full Sunday of Protestant services even if she goes to Saturday evening Mass. Essentially, she is committing over 5 hours a week to Protestant religious services and only about 50 minutes to an hour to Catholic services (one Mass) a week. The one thing that even bothered me more was that there have been quite a few times where we could not make the Saturday evening Mass and she still went to all the Sunday services to sing at a Lutheran church and did not go to Mass at all on those weekends. All and all, I think we are now on the same page and agree that she needs to forego taking part in a Protestant choir but can remain good friends with the Lutheran cantor.

 

[Francis]

Is she sheep stealing?

 

[Buckeye1]

My wife or her Lutheran friend? My wife is not at all. I don’t think her friend is but I do not know that for sure and I am sure her Lutheran friend would be more than happy and encouraging if my wife decided to leave the Catholic Church and become Lutheran.

 

[Dhc8_Type]

Not exactly the same but The National Lutheran Choir (joint choir of the LCMS and ECLA) routinely performs the Cathedral in St Paul and the Basilica in Minneapolis.

 

[Buckeye1]

That is perfectly acceptable in what I read. The Priest and/or Bishops approve the music and they are performing in a Catholic Church (the True Church) with a Priest in attendance. It may be an ecumenical type event which is completely acceptable. That is why my wife’s Lutheran friend was allowed to be the cantor at our church.