Traditional Catholicism Church

[emily2]

I want to be a catholic and attend a traditional Catholic Church but there are no traditional Catholic Churches near me. Recently my mother has started to want to go to church… is it wrong for me to go to a different church if I can’t attend the traditional Catholic Church?

 

[Tolle_Lege]

You need to go to a Catholic Church if you’re Catholic.

 

[emily2]

I know.
But is it okay for me to attend different churches because my mother wants me to come with her?

 

[Tolle_Lege]

Explain what you mean by “different churches.” Protestant? Other Catholic Churches?

If you have a Catholic church nearby and you are Catholic, you need to attend Catholic Mass. A Protestant service does not fill one’s obligation.

In other words, if a Catholic parish is nearby and offers only the Ordinary Form Mass and you do not like it, you still need to attend. You cannot skip Mass for another denomination because of personal preference.

 

[emily2]

Even if I’m not “officially” catholic? Like I haven’t been baptized or anything?

 

[Tolle_Lege]

I did not catch the part that you weren’t baptized. Are you not baptized into any Christian denomination?

Are you enrolled in RCIA or have you spoken to a priest at a nearby Catholic church?

You may attend a Mass but obviously cannot receive communion.

Otherwise, it appears you are free to attend any Christian service.

 

[Crusader13]

Well it also depends on other factors as well. For example if you’re sill in your teens and living at home, with no means to drive yourself to a Catholic Church, then you’re sort of at the mercy of your Mom as to where you go to church at.

If she’s attending a non-catholic church then be respectful and listen to her so as not to be disobedient. However, perhaps you can suggest attending a Catholic Church so you can both get a feel for it.

If you’re older and not living at home and your mom simply wants you to attend church with her on Sundays, there isn’t anything inherently bad with that, but going to Mass should be your priority and if possible you can try and work out a time to attend church with your mother.

And if your mom is barely showing a desire for going to Church and she hasn’t set her mind on which church is going to work best for her, then definitely suggest the Catholic Church. There are numerous tools and resources online that can help you both learn more about the faith and what is involved at Mass.

 

[dconklin]

She is not Catholic - but wants to be.

 

[TomH1]

I want to be a catholic and attend a traditional Catholic Church but there are no traditional Catholic Churches near me. Recently my mother has started to want to go to church… is it wrong for me to go to a different church if I can’t attend the traditional Catholic Church?

It seems eventually we learned you are not a Catholic. While you are very welcome to come to church and be present for Mass or any other service you have no obligation to do so. What you must not do is receive Holy Communion.

If you want to become a Catholic you need to speak to a Catholic priest. He will advise you on the process you need to follow, which should depend on your personal circumstances. However, whatever your situation may be you will most likely be asked to enrol on a Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA) programme.

Although you may have a preference for certain types of practice please be aware any Catholic church is a valid church and you can receive all the sacraments there. Do not sink into the danger, especially as you are not yet even a Catholic, of thinking only one form of Catholicism is the correct one.

I think it is still unclear whether you are saying your mother wants to go to a Catholic church you would not regard as ‘traditional’ or your mother wants to go to a non-Catholic church. If you are 13 or younger you will have to do what your mother wants. We should obey our parents. From the age of 14 onwards the Catholic Church allows you to make your own choice about what church you want to join. However, if you are under 18 you are still a minor in civil law and have to do what your parents want. It is a tricky situation. You could try to discuss it with your mother in a calm, non-confrontational way.

 

[DIERM]

Different church or Catholic Church? There is a huge difference.

There is no traditional Catholic church, but only a single Catholic Church…just look at the creed…“I believe in ONE holy, catholic, and apostolic church”.

Differentiating between “traditional” and whatever they antonym might be serves no useful purpose, and might even be unhealthy by dividing the Body of Christ.

 

[1ke]

If you are 13 or younger you will have to do what your mother wants. We should obey our parents. From the age of 14 onwards the Catholic Church allows you to make your own choice about what church you want to join.

Tom, please provide a source for this assertion.

 

[DIERM]

Tom, please provide a source for this assertion.

Not sure where you are going with this…take out the 13 or younger, which might be a technicality you are focused on, and consider if the OP is a minor living at home, the child should defer to the authority and wisdom of parents…without need for a legalistic source.

 

[1ke]

Not sure where you are going with this…

Where I am going with this is you have stated something as a fact, you should be able to provide your source.

which might be a technicality you are focused on,

No, not at all. It isn’t a “technicality”. You are wholly wrong regarding what the Church teaches.

consider if the OP is a minor living at home, the child should defer to the authority and wisdom of parents…

I don’t believe I stated otherwise.

…without need for a legalistic source.

So you can or produce the source I take it?

 

[DIERM]

I still think, legalistic source or not, the statement made by the poster (which you errantly attributed to me in the first part of your retort) is particularly scandalous, and nothing that needs to be explained by exact church teaching or canon law to understand.

 

[Fuerza]

When you say traditional, do you mean a parish that celebrates the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, a traditionally-oriented Ordinary Form Mass, an Ordinariate parish, or perhaps an Eastern Catholic parish? If you’re willing to post in which city you live, or at least a city that you live near if you don’t want to be specific, I’m sure someone can figure out if there is a traditional parish anywhere near you.