What exactly does it mean to be a "non-practicing observer" at a non-Catholic service of worship?

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I keep seeing this phrase when reading through old “Ask an Apologist” Q&As and other threads, but I’m not sure how far it goes. I get that the basic idea is that if a Catholic does attend a Protestant worship service, he should not participate in anything that would make it seem like he is in agreement with what that church teaches, but how far does it have to go? I know receiving communion in a Protestant church is out of the question, but is it okay to participate in the service? Can we sing along with the hymns/praise songs, as long as they don’t say anything heretical? Can we join in recitation of psalms or the creeds that Catholics recognize, like the Nicene Creed? What if there is a unison prayer that was written by a non-Catholic but is not explicitly heretical, can we join in reciting that (e.g., the Presbyterian church I grew up in recited prayers of confession written by various theologians in lieu of the penitential rite)? Can we put a dollar in the collection plate? I haven’t been to a Protestant church in months, but my father is a minister so I might visit occasionally after being received into the Catholic Church.
 
I think the first thing to remember is that you are not allowed to go to any non-Catholic religious ceremony of any kind unless
  1. It is a bona fide ecumenical or inter-faith service which Catholic clergy co-sponsor or co-lead and which has been approved in advance by your bishop; or
  2. There is another grave reason to justrfy it, e.g. to attend a wedding or funeral of a relative or friend.
I don’t think just the fact that your father is a minister in the church, or that you used to belong to it, is a grave reason enough for you to attend a non-Catholic service even occasionally.

In the case of #1 you shoudl certainly join in enthusiastically in the common hymns and prayers, because their wording will have nbeen approved by your bishop and will (hopefully) be acceptable.

In the case of #2 I would be very cautious about joining the prayers and hymns. Even those which seem familiar and even identical to those we sing/pray as Catholcis may have some subtle changes which make them heretical.

So** in the case of #2**, confine yourself to being polite and respectful, sit and stand when you are told to or when other people do. But don’t audibly sing or pray, and be careful not to bow, kneel or give respect to a false god.

And I would add do not put money into any collection unless you can be absolutekly sure that it will not be used to (even subtly) promote a false religion.

Of course anything like leading a prayer, Bible reading, etc is right out tof the question.
 
I pretty much agree with Petergee though I would say that #1 need only permission of the Parish Priest though I would not recomend attending.

#2 could extend to youre situation as to if there was a very special event that youre father was presiding at, maybe a Christmas eve service or something that would make youre family life difficult if you did not attend then you may attend but as far as possible obey Petergee’s advice on how to behave. If a sacrament will be simulated though then it is out of the question so no eucharists, ordinations, confirmations etc…
 
Petergee said:
I think the first thing to remember is that you are not allowed to go to any non-Catholic religious ceremony of any kind unless
  1. It is a bona fide ecumenical or inter-faith service which Catholic clergy co-sponsor or co-lead and which has been approved in advance by your bishop; or
  2. There is another grave reason to justrfy it, e.g. to attend a wedding or funeral of a relative or friend.
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That’s a pretty broad statement. Could you, perhaps, provide some documentation from an authoritative source?
 
Ten or so years ago I took my family to visit a 97 year old aunt. She asked us to go to church with her (Presbyterian) and I agreed. It was one of the worst “services” I had ever attended, but my aunt was a very happy woman. We left her house on Sunday afternoon and found a Sunday evening Catholic Mass not far away.

I had no problem in making my aunt happy and thought it might be good for my family to experience a Protestant “service”. We all agreed that it seemed extremely empty in comparison to the Mass.

So, while there was no “grave” reason for doing this, I believe it was an act of charity and we certainly left unscathed, in fact we left with a deeper appreciation for Catholicism.
 
Catholics are not forbidden from attending, and joining in with prayers, hymns etc. at non-catholic services.

DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES AND NORMS ON ECUMENISM
vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/general-docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_19930325_directory_en.html

Sharing in Non-Sacramental Liturgical Worship
116. By liturgical worship is meant worship carried out according to books, prescriptions and customs of a Church or ecclesial Community, presided over by a minister or delegate of that Church or Community. This liturgical worship may be of a non-sacramental kind, or may be the celebration of one or more of the Christian sacraments. The concern here is non-sacramental worship.
  1. In some situations, the official prayer of a Church may be preferred to ecumenical services specially prepared for the occasion. Participation in such celebrations as Morning or Evening Prayer, special vigils, etc., will enable people of different liturgical traditions—Catholic, Eastern, Anglican and Protestant—to understand each other’s community prayer better and to share more deeply in traditions which often have developed from common roots.
  2. In liturgical celebrations taking place in other Churches and ecclesial Communities, Catholics are encouraged to take part in the psalms, responses, hymns and common actions of the Church in which they are guests. If invited by their hosts, they may read a lesson or preach.
I have no problem attending local non-catholic Christian services. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and we are all worshipping the same God. So long as I don’t take Communion there I can see no problem.
 
Brendan_64 said:
Catholics are not forbidden from attending, and joining in with prayers, hymns etc. at non-catholic services.

DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES AND NORMS ON ECUMENISM
vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/general-docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_19930325_directory_en.html

Sharing in Non-Sacramental Liturgical Worship
116. By liturgical worship is meant worship carried out according to books, prescriptions and customs of a Church or ecclesial Community, presided over by a minister or delegate of that Church or Community. This liturgical worship may be of a non-sacramental kind, or may be the celebration of one or more of the Christian sacraments. The concern here is non-sacramental worship.
  1. In some situations, the official prayer of a Church may be preferred to ecumenical services specially prepared for the occasion. Participation in such celebrations as Morning or Evening Prayer, special vigils, etc., will enable people of different liturgical traditions—Catholic, Eastern, Anglican and Protestant—to understand each other’s community prayer better and to share more deeply in traditions which often have developed from common roots.
  2. In liturgical celebrations taking place in other Churches and ecclesial Communities, Catholics are encouraged to take part in the psalms, responses, hymns and common actions of the Church in which they are guests. If invited by their hosts, they may read a lesson or preach.
I have no problem attending local non-catholic Christian services. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and we are all worshipping the same God. So long as I don’t take Communion there I can see no problem.
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Thank you, a quote from an official source like the Vatican was exactly what I was looking for.
 
Brendan_64 said:
Catholics are not forbidden from attending, and joining in with prayers, hymns etc. at non-catholic services.

DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES AND NORMS ON ECUMENISM
vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/general-docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_19930325_directory_en.html

Sharing in Non-Sacramental Liturgical Worship
116. By liturgical worship is meant worship carried out according to books, prescriptions and customs of a Church or ecclesial Community, presided over by a minister or delegate of that Church or Community. This liturgical worship may be of a non-sacramental kind, or may be the celebration of one or more of the Christian sacraments. The concern here is non-sacramental worship.
  1. In some situations, the official prayer of a Church may be preferred to ecumenical services specially prepared for the occasion. Participation in such celebrations as Morning or Evening Prayer, special vigils, etc., will enable people of different liturgical traditions—Catholic, Eastern, Anglican and Protestant—to understand each other’s community prayer better and to share more deeply in traditions which often have developed from common roots.
  2. In liturgical celebrations taking place in other Churches and ecclesial Communities, Catholics are encouraged to take part in the psalms, responses, hymns and common actions of the Church in which they are guests. If invited by their hosts, they may read a lesson or preach.
I have no problem attending local non-catholic Christian services. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and we are all worshipping the same God. So long as I don’t take Communion there I can see no problem.
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Exactly!
 
As a Jew who has on occasion attended Christian services, I generally avoid any practices that are specifically Christian - I do not take Communion, nor will I sing any hymns that mention Jesus. Instead, I watch. I observe. I treat the whole thing as a learning experience. I will also focus on whatever reason I have for attending - at my grandmother’s funeral, I focused on comforting my cousins.

I’m curious, if any Christians here have attended Jewish services, how did you handle it (ignoring any wanton butchery of the Hebrew language)?
 
Meshakhad said:
I’m curious, if any Christians here have attended Jewish services, how did you handle it (ignoring any wanton butchery of the Hebrew language)?
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That is something I have not done but would love to do. Should I ask permission or can I just go in and observe?
 
Meshakhad said:
I’m curious, if any Christians here have attended Jewish services, how did you handle it (ignoring any wanton butchery of the Hebrew language)?
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The Synagogue I’ve gone to sang most of the hymns in English… The readings were in hebrew, but English translations were provided.

As for the OP…
If you have some legitimate reason to go, then go, be respectful, sing no hymns you don’t already know, and take no active part in the liturgy.

The exceptions allowed being PNCC, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Assyrian… where you may participate as much as they will knowingly let you (unless you’re a cleric - in which case, other canonical restrictions apply)… and synagogues, where participation in the hymns is generally not an issue, since they are almost all scriptural.

See Canon 844 of the CIC
 
Quite frankly, I don’t really have much desire to go back to a Protestant church. Every time I do, I feel like something huge is missing (the Eucharist, of course). I haven’t even received communion in the Catholic Church yet and I still feel like Protestant worship services are lacking compared to the mass. That and there’s some tension between me and a few people at my former church, so visiting is a bit stressful for me and my fiance, especially when people corner me and ask where I’ve been the past few months. :o I only see myself going back once in a while for special occasions. The last time I went there was to hear my father preach a sermon against the HHS mandate.

But it’s good to know that the Vatican doesn’t see it as too problematic to take part in a limited way in such a worship service. There are some hymns I really miss, like Wonderful Grace of Jesus.
 
Brendan_64 said:
Catholics are not forbidden from attending, and joining in with prayers, hymns etc. at non-catholic services.

DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES AND NORMS ON ECUMENISM
vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/general-docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_19930325_directory_en.html

Sharing in Non-Sacramental Liturgical Worship
116. By liturgical worship is meant worship carried out according to books, prescriptions and customs of a Church or ecclesial Community, presided over by a minister or delegate of that Church or Community. This liturgical worship may be of a non-sacramental kind, or may be the celebration of one or more of the Christian sacraments. The concern here is non-sacramental worship.
  1. In some situations, the official prayer of a Church may be preferred to ecumenical services specially prepared for the occasion. Participation in such celebrations as Morning or Evening Prayer, special vigils, etc., will enable people of different liturgical traditions—Catholic, Eastern, Anglican and Protestant—to understand each other’s community prayer better and to share more deeply in traditions which often have developed from common roots.
  2. In liturgical celebrations taking place in other Churches and ecclesial Communities, Catholics are encouraged to take part in the psalms, responses, hymns and common actions of the Church in which they are guests. If invited by their hosts, they may read a lesson or preach.
I have no problem attending local non-catholic Christian services. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and we are all worshipping the same God. So long as I don’t take Communion there I can see no problem.
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In context, this is referring to **ecumenical **services. Not just to any ordinary non-Catholic service.
 
Yeah, make sure you don’t put anything in the collection or sing any hymns… but don’t worry about giving your money to big business or buying pop music…
 
SteveVH said:
That is something I have not done but would love to do. Should I ask permission or can I just go in and observe?
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Most synagogues will probably not mind if you just go in and observe, although it wouldn’t hurt to call in advance. Just make sure to dress appropriately. Church wear will do. If the synagogue is Orthodox, women should not wear pants, and should cover their arms. For almost any synagogue, men should cover their heads, though most synagogues will provide yarmulkes for this purpose.
 
Petergee said:
In context, this is referring to **ecumenical **services. Not just to any ordinary non-Catholic service.
Click to expand...
OK then, show me some official, post Vatican II, instruction that forbids attendance at non-Catholic Christian services.
 
The only non-Catholic services that I go to are the music services associated with Decoration Day observations at several country churches where relatives of mine are buried, or occasionally as an instrumental soloist at my cousins’ church, or to a family funeral. I tell our priest about it, and he’s okay with it; he knows I’m always at Mass when I’m supposed to be there, and a lot of times when I don’t necessarily have to be there.
 
If non Catholics had Holy Communion I would partake…but it is a sacrament they do not have, regardless of the ersatz ceremony. Not much else is out of whack at a service…most of them. They enjoy reading the Bible, as we do but they read the verses through the spectacles of their own theology.
 
pismopal said:
If non Catholics had Holy Communion I would partake…but it is a sacrament they do not have, regardless of the ersatz ceremony. Not much else is out of whack at a service…most of them. They enjoy reading the Bible, as we do but they read the verses through the spectacles of their own theology.
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The Orthodox, Assyrians, PNCC, and a few others do have valid Sacraments, including the Eucharist.
 
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