Non-Catholic Communion

[dairygirl4u2c]

A friend went to a non-cathlolic church. She was Catholic. She found out at the end that they considered the service to be communion (that is, with their brothers and sisters in Christ) She knows she didn't do anything wrong because she didn't know it was a non-Catholic communion. But if she were to go back again since that is their communion, then she would be commiting a mortal sin. Is this accurate?

Edited October 16, 2004 by dairygirl4u2c

[Pete-ster]

Doesn't sound anything like communion to me.

Perhaps there's a mix-up of terminology here.

[dUSt]

It is a sin to [b]actively participate [/b]in any type of non-Catholic service, regardless if it's a communion service or not. By participating in a non-Catholic service one acknowledges their acceptance of it, and thus validates it's authenticity--which directly contradicts their belief that the Catholic church is the one true church.

It's fine to attend a non-Catholic service as a [b]spectator[/b] as long as you don't participate in it, and as long as you fulfill your weekly mass obligation at a [b]Catholic[/b] church.

[JP2Iloveyou]

dUST, I'm not so sure that is accurate. We need to define our terms here. When you say "participate," do you mean respond and join in singing songs because that directly contradicts what the Holy Father teaches in documents such as [i]Ut Unum Sint[/i] and [i]Unitatis Redintegratio[/i]

[CatholicforChrist]

Even attendance can and does constitute as participation by simply being present. Scandal is committed nine ways. One way is by silence. By being silent at a protestant service is one way of committing scandal. If you look at everything the Church has said and taught pre-Modernism you will see that the Church condemns even witnessing protestant services. Read the Catechism of Trent. It says that only Catholic worship can be at all acceptable to God. Scripture and the Saints condemn the worship of those not in union with God through the Church. "For all the gods of the Gentiles are devils." I do not know how someone can say nonCatholics worship the same God if they do not acknowledge Him in the Eucharist. Maybe you could make an argument for the Eastern schismatics worshipping the true God, i.e., they have valid Sacraments; therefore, they have worship the true God (their God is the true God, not a demon as with other nonCatholics). In any event, the Church has consistently and in no minced words condemned joint prayer services, attending nonCatholic worship, etc. Even after the "smoke of Satan" (cf., Pope Paul VI) entered the sanctuary, the Church, the Popes have said the only true ecumenism is to convert them. If someone makes a case for giving a talk at a nonCatholic fellowship hall in order to convert them, that could be acceptable, but participating in and witnessing their blasphemies (false worship) is always a mortal sin against the Faith.

[Brother Adam]

Non-Catholics worship a demon. Wow.

Wow.

I feel like I'm listening to the Jack Chick of Catholicism.

[mulls]

how can protestant baptisms be considered valid by the catholic church, yet the service is not allowed to be witnessed.


say your brother is about to get baptized in a baptist church, and its valid by catholic standards....but its sinful to watch it?

[Mary's Knight, La]

i hear ya bro adam,

mulls you'd do better to focus on Dust's post as it is more in line with all church teaching i've heard on the matter.

as i understand it a catholic could not participate in the rites such as they are of non-cath churchs. i'll use episcopal/anglican as they make the easiest example. the way i understand it a catholic could not be a reader or distribute bread/wine at an episcopal service.

as far as joining in song, etc... i'm not sure... so i'll just explain the principle behind the rule. for a catholic to join in a non-catholic service implies at least a tacit acceptance of the beliefs of the non-catholic church, which could be a minor heresy or apostasy, i'm not sure which and could serve to either lead catholics out of the fullness of truth or could lead non-catholics further from the fullness of truth.

catholics should seek clarification from their priest or even ordinary on how to apply the rule until they recieve that clarification they are bound to follow it as much as they understand it.

[Dave]

[quote name='mulls' date='Oct 18 2004, 07:10 PM'] how can protestant baptisms be considered valid by the catholic church, yet the service is not allowed to be witnessed.


say your brother is about to get baptized in a baptist church, and its valid by catholic standards....but its sinful to watch it? [/quote]
Mulls, CatholicForChrist is terribly mistaken. It's not a sin to observe a non-Catholic baptism or other service. Participating, of course, would be different.

If your brother was baptized in a Baptist Church, it could possibly be sinful to observe ... I mean, if he'd originally been Catholic, to go to the ceremony could imply agreement with and support of his decision to leave the Church. Of course, intent would be key here.

[RandomProddy]

[quote name='mulls' date='Oct 19 2004, 01:10 AM'] how can protestant baptisms be considered valid by the catholic church, yet the service is not allowed to be witnessed. [/quote]
"We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins". And you can witness a protestant baptism, the restriction is you can't participate in it.

[cmotherofpirl]

Hey Random we missed ya!!!

[1337 k4th0l1x0r]

You don't have to tell me not to join in singing at a protestant church. People ask me not to join in singing at Mass all the time.

[ICTHUS]

[quote name='Brother Adam' date='Oct 18 2004, 05:34 PM'] Non-Catholics worship a demon. Wow.

Wow.

I feel like I'm listening to the Jack Chick of Catholicism. [/quote]
Wow, for oice I agreewith bro. Adam

[Svjatyj_Boze]

Catholic for Christ, I think you're going a bit too far. The Protestant concepts of penal substitution and forensic imputation are definitely offensive to God, so in so far as a Protestant might praise God for imputing him with Christ's righteousness, or praise Christ for being willing to be imputed with his sin and recieve the Father's wrath, his worship would be offensive to God. However, I don't think you'll find much support in any magisterial document for the thesis that Protestants worship a demon.

[point5]

dust define participate. Are you telling me I cant go to a non-catholic prayer group and pray....a non-catholic worship service and sing praise to God the Father? A good definition of participation along with sources would be helpful. This strikes me as odd and contrary to a biblical teaching. If by participate you mean participate in that which directly violates our teachings in the church then I agree.