Protestant prayer service

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My friend leads a little prayer circle at a Protestant church at noon on the 24th, I think he would be happy if I’d come. Would it be ok to go?

Kathrin
 
Kathrin said:
My friend leads a little prayer circle at a Protestant church at noon on the 24th, I think he would be happy if I’d come. Would it be ok to go?

Kathrin
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What would your friend say if you asked him/her to go to Mass with you?
 
Kathrin said:
My friend leads a little prayer circle at a Protestant church at noon on the 24th, I think he would be happy if I’d come. Would it be ok to go?

Kathrin
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Why not?

I go to a Catholic University, but half the on-campus ministry stuff is protestant or lead by protestants. I go to a bible studies group every week, and the guy that leads it is from Iraq. I guess he is the small minority of Iraqi’s that are Christian, and I guess he left because of some pretty heavy persecution. But he isn’t Catholic. Neither are half the people in the group. But they are a bunch of great guys, and there is nothing wrong with studying the Bible together. Or praying together.
 
AaronK88 said:
Why not?

I go to a Catholic University, but half the on-campus ministry stuff is protestant or lead by protestants. I go to a bible studies group every week, and the guy that leads it is from Iraq. I guess he is the small minority of Iraqi’s that are Christian, and I guess he left because of some pretty heavy persecution. But he isn’t Catholic. Neither are half the people in the group. But they are a bunch of great guys, and there is nothing wrong with studying the Bible together. Or praying together.
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I have often participated in a Bible study where people come from different Christian backgrounds, one girl is even Jewish. I have never seen a problem with that.
I am just wondering that since it is at a Protestant church, and not an inter-confessional group, if I am maybe somehow not allowed to go there by the Catholic Church?

I know it is ok to go to a Protestant service as long as you don’t participate in the Last Supper there. So maybe a small prayer group would be ok too?

Kathrin
 
Sometimes my line of work requires me to pray with Christians who aren’t Catholic. I always make the sign of the cross so they know just where I stand.

A prayer service on the 24th? I think I’d rather spend Christmas eve in mass but if you can work in both, I dont’ think it would hurt.
 
I don’t see a problem with it. Your friend has attended Mass with you and, I assume, is not hostile to or trying to undermine your Catholic faith. This seems like a good way to recognize and support the work he is doing in his own faith communinity
 
you can attend but not participate in non catholic religious services.
 
Go, and be a Catholic 🙂 As a convert myself, it meant a great deal to me that the wrong thing I had been taught about the Church were quietly, gently disproved by real live Catholics who loved and prayed with me.
 
“Prayer, gentlemen, is good no matter where it is offered.” (Father Peyramale, “The Song of Bernadette”) 👍
 
I could be wrong, but it seemed as though she wanted to know if it’s okay for a Catholic to participate in a non Catholic prayer service, to which the answer is no. Attending is fine, active participation is not.
 
latinmasslover said:
I could be wrong, but it seemed as though she wanted to know if it’s okay for a Catholic to participate in a non Catholic prayer service, to which the answer is no. Attending is fine, active participation is not.
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But I thought if a Catholic were to attend a Protestant service - say with family for example, she could sing the songs, listen to the sermon, etc. but refrain from receiving communion of course.

What would be the point of attending if one doesn’t participate - listening is participating, isn’t it? Also, the Pope prays with non-Christians… wouldn’t he refrain from doing that if it were wrong?

Not trying to be argumentive… just trying to understand. :o
 
Thanks for all your (name removed by moderator)ut. 🙂

I am not sure yet if I will go, for other reasons too. It is good to kind of have a feeling whether it would be appropriate though.🙂

Kathrin
 
AaronK88 said:
Why not?

I go to a Catholic University, but half the on-campus ministry stuff is protestant or lead by protestants. I go to a bible studies group every week, and the guy that leads it is from Iraq. I guess he is the small minority of Iraqi’s that are Christian, and I guess he left because of some pretty heavy persecution. But he isn’t Catholic. Neither are half the people in the group. But they are a bunch of great guys, and there is nothing wrong with studying the Bible together. Or praying together.
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The Christian Church in Iraq is the Chaldean Church - it is VERY MUCH Catholic, one of the 53 Catholic Churches.

That aside, be careful in these groups that you do not slip into indifferentism.
 
Kathrin said:
Thanks for all your (name removed by moderator)ut. 🙂

I am not sure yet if I will go, for other reasons too. It is good to kind of have a feeling whether it would be appropriate though.🙂

Kathrin
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Ask your priest.
 
How would one go to a prayer service and not participate?

Does that mean not praying with them? Or not leading a prayer, which I would presume not to be the case?

Seems to me IF not participating means not praying, why bother to go?
 
yellowbird said:
What would be the point of attending if one doesn’t participate - listening is participating, isn’t it?
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Observation, not participation. I’ve never asked a nonCatholic to participate in the Mass, only to observe.
Also, the Pope prays with non-Christians… wouldn’t he refrain from doing that if it were wrong?
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The Pope went to confession on a weekly basis, that could very well have been one of the sins he confessed…:confused: Just because he does it doesn’t mean it was right (we have a Pope who had mistresses, one of which he threatened to excommunicate if she left him). A couple years ago I observed an LDS “baptism,” but didn’t participate.
Not trying to be argumentive… just trying to understand. :o
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I struggled with that for a while myself (“the Pope did it therefore it must not be a sin”). Pax.
 
Protestants are BRETHREN. Separated brethren, but still very much in the family. So much so that they are totally welcome at Mass, though the division requires that they not receive Eucharist. They get to pray along! We Catholics are allowed to go to there services, realizing that they aren’t Mass and don’t fulfill the obligation, and we don’t take part in their communion. Nobody checks IDs at the door when monasteries host retreats and such.

There is nothing wrong with praying together. If you’re talking about prayer that is really, obnoxiously sectarian, like they’re really aiming their words at you to convert you, then there is no reason to go. But to pray together to our common Father? Go for it.

I would even say it is very appropriate to lead a prayer, because that would be a chance to share some of the wonderful historical prayers that the saints have shared with us.
 
Well, that was a useful response.

You seem to write as if Protestants could contaminate Catholics.

Do you really believe that their prayer is not to the very same God?

It’s one thing to go unprepared to a Protestant Bible study or service and get confused by the differences in doctrine. It’s entirely another to be prepared for those differences (as I assume OP is, having been concerned enough to ask here) and participate as much as one is able.

The first step in my conversion was prayer with Catholics. I’m so glad they didn’t refuse because it could be sin for them!

Good gravy.
 
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