Would it be a sin to visit a non-Catholic Church?

[LilyM]

I’m pretty sure Pope Benedict is well grounded in the faith and was under no risk to damage it, understands the difference between the faiths( he did not receive communion at the Orthodox Church for instance) and he did not give the appearance of Communion between Catholicism and those other religions.

However, for the rest of us the following answers the question nicely.

dwc.org/questions/services.shtml

Also ,

cuf.org/Faithfacts/details_view.asp?ffID=261

and

cuf.org/faithfacts/details_view.asp?ffID=225

It seems pretty clear that the OP knows what they’re doing as well, and would be attending in the right spirit, subject to the guidance they’ve already been given.

 

[justthefacts]

Or perhaps you could back up your position with a magisterial quote or two? Or maybe you could explain which part of visiting a Protestant church is sinful? Personally, I go to my wife’s Baptist church most Sundays after I have attended Mass. My pastor and my Spritiual Director (a Jesuit) both approve.

I am sorry but vatican II is an infallible Church Council which gave no permission to visit another church of our separated brethren, the permission there is only for praying for unity with these folks and ultimately that unity is achieved by bringing these people back to the one true fold. I think the onus is on you to back up your comments with an authoritive quote prefably from a church council.

Vatican II reads:

Yet worship in common (communicatio in sacris) is not to be considered as a means to be used indiscriminately for the restoration of Christian unity. There are two main principles governing the practice of such common worship: first, the bearing witness to the unity of the Church, and second, the sharing in the means of grace. Witness to the unity of the Church very generally forbids common worship to Christians, but the grace to be had from it sometimes commends this practice. The course to be adopted, with due regard to all the circumstances of time, place, and persons, is to be decided by local episcopal authority, unless otherwise provided for by the Bishops’ Conference according to its statutes, or by the Holy See.

 

[DallasCatholic]

I am sorry but vatican II is an infallible Church Council which gave no permission to visit another church of our separated brethren, the permission there is only for praying for unity with these folks and ultimately that unity is achieved by bringing these people back to the one true fold. I think the onus is on you to back up your comments with an authoritive quote prefably from a church council.

Vatican II reads:

Yet worship in common (communicatio in sacris) is not to be considered as a means to be used indiscriminately for the restoration of Christian unity. There are two main principles governing the practice of such common worship: first, the bearing witness to the unity of the Church, and second, the sharing in the means of grace. Witness to the unity of the Church very generally forbids common worship to Christians, but the grace to be had from it sometimes commends this practice. The course to be adopted, with due regard to all the circumstances of time, place, and persons, is to be decided by local episcopal authority, unless otherwise provided for by the Bishops’ Conference according to its statutes, or by the Holy See.

Perhaps you should read the Code of Canon law.

 

[lak611]

I am sorry but vatican II is an infallible Church Council which gave no permission to visit another church of our separated brethren, the permission there is only for praying for unity with these folks and ultimately that unity is achieved by bringing these people back to the one true fold. I think the onus is on you to back up your comments with an authoritive quote prefably from a church council.

Vatican II reads:

Yet worship in common (communicatio in sacris) is not to be considered as a means to be used indiscriminately for the restoration of Christian unity. There are two main principles governing the practice of such common worship: first, the bearing witness to the unity of the Church, and second, the sharing in the means of grace. Witness to the unity of the Church very generally forbids common worship to Christians, but the grace to be had from it sometimes commends this practice. The course to be adopted, with due regard to all the circumstances of time, place, and persons, is to be decided by local episcopal authority, unless otherwise provided for by the Bishops’ Conference according to its statutes, or by the Holy See.

Perhaps you should read the Code of Canon law.

It sounds like that Vatican II document is referring to intercommunion, not praying together.

 

[MH84]

Hi everyone. Would it be a sin to visit a non-Catholic church just because you have nothing else to do and you’re not going to take communion or otherwise participate except for maybe just listen to the music?

Why don;t you visit the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament if you feel you want to be in a Christian atmosphere?

 

[justthefacts]

Perhaps you should read the Code of Canon law.

Hi I am just here to learn and would appreciate your references to canon law.

Thanks.

 

[justthefacts]

So, it is a sin for me to go to my grandfather’s funeral? It was a sin for the pope to visit a synagogue or mosque?

wouldnt want to judge your intentions or certainly the intentions of the Holy Father.

But I stand by what I wrote, unless someone can give me an offical quote from a council.

Thanks.

 

[mikew262]

Why don;t you visit the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament if you feel you want to be in a Christian atmosphere?

Sigh! Protestants are Christians too.

 

[Island_Oak]

I recently attended a Jewish service as the guest of friends and it was fascinating–especially since we share the scriptures of the Old Testament. It was my first visit ever to a temple and I am very grateful to have had the experience.

 

[rwoehmke]

don’t be silly!!

I think the more that we mix with one another, the more chance there is that one day we might be united on more common ground. It helps dispell myths about one another. It’s not as if they’re going to watch a pole dancer!! It’s just a church that worships the same God…and has more in common then it does differences.
S

Just completed the ALPHA course at a local Baptist church. It was interesting that probably 99 plus percent of the material was common to both the Catholic Church and theirs. We have a parish in our diocese which puts on ALPHA (same tapes) with some supplemental material to fill out the pie ( read Helaire Belloc’s “Herisies”). It’s probably a good tool for evangelization, but not of much use for a catechized Christian. I went primarily to check out how they handle their hospitality as my parish has been bleeding members to this church. Usually parishioners who find our parish cliquey and unwelcoming. I guess there is something to be said about fellowship even if it is down the priority list a bit.

 

[Seatuck]

I am sorry but vatican II is an infallible Church Council which gave no permission to visit another church of our separated brethren, the permission there is only for praying for unity with these folks and ultimately that unity is achieved by bringing these people back to the one true fold. I think the onus is on you to back up your comments with an authoritive quote prefably from a church council.

Vatican II reads:

Yet worship in common (communicatio in sacris) is not to be considered as a means to be used indiscriminately for the restoration of Christian unity. There are two main principles governing the practice of such common worship: first, the bearing witness to the unity of the Church, and second, the sharing in the means of grace. Witness to the unity of the Church very generally forbids common worship to Christians, but the grace to be had from it sometimes commends this practice. The course to be adopted, with due regard to all the circumstances of time, place, and persons, is to be decided by local episcopal authority, unless otherwise provided for by the Bishops’ Conference according to its statutes, or by the Holy See.

You don’t need more info from a Council. What you need is the instruction from you Bishop’s Conference or the Holy See . This is plainly stated in the quotation cited.

Does anyone have the later instruction?

 

[justthefacts]

Just completed the ALPHA course at a local Baptist church. It was interesting that probably 99 plus percent of the material was common to both the Catholic Church and theirs. We have a parish in our diocese which puts on ALPHA (same tapes) with some supplemental material to fill out the pie ( read Helaire Belloc’s “Herisies”). It’s probably a good tool for evangelization, but not of much use for a catechized Christian. I went primarily to check out how they handle their hospitality as my parish has been bleeding members to this church. Usually parishioners who find our parish cliquey and unwelcoming. I guess there is something to be said about fellowship even if it is down the priority list a bit.

cathud.com/LINKS/documents/alpha.htm

ourladyswarriors.org/dissent/alpha1.htm

ourladyswarriors.org/dissent/alpha2.htm

wouldnt touch alpha with a barge poll, seriously the alpha course is heretical

 

[kangnamdragon]

wouldnt want to judge your intentions or certainly the intentions of the Holy Father.

But I stand by what I wrote, unless someone can give me an offical quote from a council.

Thanks.

What kind of intention would I have going to my grandfather’s funeral? Do you think I went because I want to become Lutheran?

 

[justthefacts]

You don’t need more info from a Council. What you need is the instruction from you Bishop’s Conference or the Holy See . This is plainly stated in the quotation cited.

Does anyone have the later instruction?

the key verse when worship is permitted “the bearing witness to the unity of the Church, and second, the sharing in the means of grace.” The context is also in prayer for Christian Unity, but that must be something that the Bishop permits, not something we do on our own individual whims for an emotional high. Ie the only time this is allowed ie to attend a protestant church is generally to bring someone back to the one true faith-Catholicism.

 

[justthefacts]

What kind of intention would I have going to my grandfather’s funeral? Do you think I went because I want to become Lutheran?

dont know you tell me, I have never met you!

 

[kangnamdragon]

dont know you tell me, I have never met you!

No, I went to the funeral because it was a funeral. Why wouldn’t I go to my grandfather’s funeral?

 

[rwoehmke]

cathud.com/LINKS/documents/alpha.htm

ourladyswarriors.org/dissent/alpha1.htm

ourladyswarriors.org/dissent/alpha2.htm

wouldnt touch alpha with a barge poll, seriously the alpha course is heretical

Yes that is why I said that a piece of the pie was missing. Belloc has this image of the whole truth of the Catholic Church with each other Church taking out a good sized slice and tossing it away. I would not recommend it to any Catholic who is weak in his knowledge of the Faith which today includes many. I intentionally stayed away from the retreat as I was more interested in how this church treated people who came across their threshold. I did run into several Catholics who had left the Church to be Baptists who were part of the team putting it on. My wifes comment was that they had such a narrow focus on “me and Jesus” to the loss of tthe richness of all the persons of the Trinity which Catholics have. They did talk about Maximillan Kolbe but refrained from calling him a Saint. Mother Theresa was also mentioned in our discussion group which was not really led (no questions or topics suggested) We just sort of stumbled around getting to know something about each other. As an RCIA instructor I was well aware of some of the short comings compared to RCIA properly done. Thanks for the web sites. They were very informative and correct in much of what was said.

 

[kangnamdragon]

Some Q & A from EWTN:

Non-Catholic church services
Question from on 04-19-2002:
+JMJ
I hope this is the right forum for this question. In a recent reply on the Apologetics Forum, the expert said the following:

“With the exception of special ecumenical services, Catholics are not to join in non-Catholic church services”

Is this true? I know we can’t receive “Communion” in a Protestant church, but are we not allowed to ever attend Protestant services except for special ecumenical services?

In Jesu et Maria, Rosemarie

Answer by Colin B. Donovan, STL on 04-22-2002:
For good reasons Catholic may be guests at non-Catholic services - weddings, funerals, baptisms, in connection with a family gathering. A Catholic may not, however, have a liturgical part or regularly attend non-Catholic services. This would be to give them an equivalency with Catholic liturgies that is not objectively true.
The hardest decisions in this respect must be made in mixed marriages. The Catholic cannot consider it a level playing field, as if divine worship can be divided between the Catholic Church and the spouse’s non-Catholic Church. That would be the error of indifferentism. While the non-Catholic spouse could accompany the Catholic to Mass without limit (Communion excepted), the reverse is not true. The Catholic in a mixed marriage must respect the truth about the Church, and thus God’s will for our salvation, as well as the spouse’s conscience. That is difficult, and why the Church discourages mixed marriages to begin with.

ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=318028&Forums=0&Experts=0&Days=2002&Author=&Keyword=attend+Protestant+service&pgnu=1&groupnum=0&record_bookmark=2&ORDER_BY_TXT=ORDER+BY+ReplyDate+DESC&start_at=

protestant wedding
Question from on 10-14-2002:
Ave Maria!, My wife and I were recently asked by my nephew and his fiance if our 6yr. old daughter could be a flower girl in their wedding. They both are Protestants. My nephew’s father (my brother) left the Church 24yrs ago and my nephew has never been a member of the Church. We gave our consent but now it has creeped back to me and I am not sure of our decision on this matter. In Her Heart, Richard Westrick
Answer by Bill Bilton on 10-14-2002:
Catholics may attend Protestant services but not participate in them. It would seem that by permitting your daughter to participate in the ceremony, you are indicating your tacit approval of the principles evidently bestowed on his children by your brother who chose to leave the Church.

ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=306478&Forums=0&Experts=0&Days=2002&Author=&Keyword=attend+Protestant+service&pgnu=1&groupnum=0&record_bookmark=1&ORDER_BY_TXT=ORDER+BY+ReplyDate+DESC&start_at=

 

[Seatuck]

the key verse when worship is permitted “the bearing witness to the unity of the Church, and second, the sharing in the means of grace.” The context is also in prayer for Christian Unity, but that must be something that the Bishop permits, not something we do on our own individual whims for an emotional high. Ie the only time this is allowed ie to attend a protestant church is generally to bring someone back to the one true faith-Catholicism.

Yes, I understand that. However we need the directives from the individual Bishop’s to guide us. I did find the following document from 1993.

vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_25031993_principles-and-norms-on-ecumenism_en.html

My feeling is that this is one of those issues where we were given an inch of leeway and the church at large has taken several feet.There are guidelines for weddings, bible study, prayer, non liturgical worship.I betch it’s one of those Vat 2 did away with the restrictions on this kind of things. Of course when you read the Vat 2 documents as we have we find it did no such thing. I haven’t finished the document yet. There should still be a document from the US Bishop’s with our specific norms but I haven’t found it yet.

usccb.org/seia/

 

[justthefacts]

No, I went to the funeral because it was a funeral. Why wouldn’t I go to my grandfather’s funeral?

work this one out for yourself…but dont make the exception into the rule that is all I want to say…it is this type of mindset that has wrecked havoc in the Church…