How does the Catholic Church view its members attending a Protestant Church Service?

Question

Here's my situation.... I'm 24. I was baptized and confirmed protestant (specifically, baptized Lutheran and confirmed Methodist). I haven't been religiously active for 6 years or so (except attending Chrismas/Easter service with my family out of respect for them) because I've been going through a phase of confusion about my faith. Now, I have realized that I want to take Christ back in my life and eventually become active in a church, and I am considering converting to Catholicism.

I've talked about it with my parents, and they would be very supportive (My Dad's side of the family is Catholic). However, my family means the world to me and I've wondered how this would affect things.

Specifically, if I visited on Christmas, could I go to church with them out of respect (honoring Mother/Father)?

When I have children, and they visit their grandparents, would they be "allowed" to go to church with them? Asking my entire family to attend mass to accomodate me seems selfish

Answer 1

Technically, a Catholic cannot satisfy his or her Sunday obligation by going to a church other than a Catholic Church. If you cannot find a Catholic Church in the town you are visiting, you can go to a non-Catholic Christian church.

One solution would for you to go to church twice - once with your family and once to the Catholic Church.

Talk to your priest about this. You may be able to receive a dispensation since you will be going to a non-Catholic church with your family out of respect and love for them.

Answer 2

It depends on ones Priest and also, I think on a persons upbringing. I live in Canada. Raised and still am a Confessional Lutheran. I grew up in a rural area of Ontario and have many friends who are of Irish Catholic Decent. Also from the Same Parish were 2nd. generation Dutch Catholics.

The Dutch never had a problem attending other Churches, however they would only Commune in a Catholic Church. Communion in our Church is closed to those not in fellowship, so in my Church they were not allowed anyway.

My Irish friends still are uncomfortable attending another Church, and some quickly run to the Priest to confess it as a sin!

There Priest was an old Irish Priest. He and I became good friends until he died. He had no problem with attending each others Church. As a matter of fact he admonished me for not receiving the sacrament in his Church, He reasoned that since we both believed in the real presence of Christs body and blood, and the means of grace (the forgiveness of sins given with Christs Body and Blood).

Go figure.

Keep it between you and God

Maybe its Cultural.

Answer 3

catholics permit the attendance of catholics to other services provided it doesn't interrupt the attendance of the catholic mass and the believer is feeling weak to the possibility of converting to the protestant church. we believe this because we hold our church as the fullness of truth especially through the eucharist. your parents being supportive should help you, so you miss a few services with them,you can make up for it with bible study or put extra time to do other activities with them. you are not being selfish, the lord is calling you back to him,six years of absence is quite a while, like the prodigal son return. as you are interested in the catholic faith here are some sites that may help you out, once you start out the problems you face will be worked out.

www.scripturecatholic.com
www.fisheaters.com
www.catholiceducation.org
www.ewtn.com
www.newadvent.org

pray on this and your problems and may god bless you in whatever decision you come to.

Answer 4

(I have been thrown out a few times because "I am not a member" or "It's rude to not be a regular and just sit down"...).... .... I was once Roman Catholic, and our priests would regularly preach the idea of acceptance that a stranger was just as welcome in that church as the little old woman who had attended mass every wednesday and sunday since the early 40's so i feel bad for the people that turned you away, and if i was the type i would pray for god to help them. I see what you do as a step beyond myself I prefer to be open to all religons, talking it all in and learning what i can but not to the point of visiting each type of church though i see my self in a broder scope you are still christian wile i embrace all religions Good luck sir

Answer 5

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us that He did not come to bring peace. In fact, He said His Presence was going to bring strife between a father and his son, between a mother and her daughter. I apologize for not providing the exact Bible citations but I'm sure it sounds familiar to you.

The point of Jesus' teaching here is that, in spite of the Commandment to honor our parents, some of us are going to face a dilemma: having to choose between our parent's will and God's Will.

Which is the right choice? Going with God of course, even if it is against the will of the parents. It's unfortunate that part of your family will likely not be supportive of your decision to convert to Catholicism. Converting to Catholicism is the right choice.

Christmas: If you wish to attend non-Catholic Christian services with your family, you are free to do so. Christmas is a Holy Day of Obligation. You must, as a Catholic, attend a Catholic mass celebrating Christmas. A non-Catholic Christian service cannot take the place of a Catholic one.

If you wish to be Catholic and go to service with your non-Catholic family, it seems you will be attending two services on Christmas, not one. Such a thing is not difficult. You could attend a Christmas Vigil on the eve of the 24th, and then the service with the rest of your family on the 25th, or vice versa. Whatever works.

I have an idea. Perhaps you could attend your family's non-Catholic Christian service for this coming Christmas, in exchange for the promise that your non-Catholic family attend the Catholic the following year. This year you and your family attend service at a non-Catholic church, next year the Catholic one, back and forth for as long as this compromise lasts.

You never know; when your non-Catholic family sees the beauty of a Catholic Christmas celebration first-hand, this could be the road to conversion to Catholicism for some of them.


There is an opportunity here, for yor family to be united in their faith in a common God, rather than divided by it.

Answer 6

In the Church, Christmas is a Holy Day of obligation. The specific law runs thus: "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to assist at Mass. They are also to abstain from such work or business that would inhibit the worship to be given to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, or the due relaxation of mind and body." (Canon Law # 1247)

Vatican II likewise says, "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."

So, unless there is some grace there you can think of that you couldn't get from a Catholic Church, you shouldn't participate in Protestant, Orthodox, or any other schismatics' worship. On the other hand, if you can bring a Protestant to a Catholic worship event, there may be some grace to be had on their end. That would certainly commend the practice of common worship.

Of course, you shouldn't ask your whole family to go to Mass to accommodate you. You should ask them to do so in obediance to Christ.

In Christ!

Answer 7

You must please God and not men. The Catholic church forbids worship in other non-catholic religious places. Nowadays everything goes in the name of a false ecumenism. You can honor your parents in every other way but attending their church.

By the way, this is not my thinking but the teaching of the Catholic church since ancient times.

The false gods of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam are "strange gods" that the First Commandment forbids all of mankind to worship.

This applies also to Protestantism, since Protestants believe in a Christ who never existed. They believe in a Christ who did not establish a Church to teach, govern and sanctify all men. They believe in a Christ who did not establish a Papacy. They believe in a Christ who does not want us to honor His Holy Mother Mary. (And we know from the Fatima Message that God wants to establish in the world devotion to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.) They believe in a Christ who did not establish seven Sacraments as the primary means of grace for salvation. They believe in a Christ who did not establish the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In short, Protestants worship a false Christ, that is, a false god. This is why Blessed Pope Pius IX taught in his 1864 Syllabus that it is an error to believe that Protestantism is nothing more than another form of the same true Christian religion'

Thus, in the objective order, it is impossible for any non-Catholic, no matter how well-meaning, to obey the First Commandment. We can thus understand why the Council of Trent spoke infallibly that without the Catholic Faith, "it is impossible to please God".

Answer 8

I do not think that the Catholic Church has a problem with you and your future family occasionally visiting your parent's church.

The Church recognizes the honor that you need to show your parents.

With love in Christ.

Answer 9

The Catholic church does not condemn their parishioners for visiting another church. We are Catholic, when my children were still home they use to attend a Protestant church service with their friends when they had a sleep over at their friends homes over the week-end. My oldest son was best man at his best friends wedding who is a Protestant.

Answer 10

If you have questions about your faith, I would recommend getting into the Word of God to find the truth about our Lord and Savior.

I strongly recommend to people in your situation to begin with the book of John, the fourth book of the New Testament. I don't think the translations matters as long as you will read, understand and apply it to your life. Next, read the book of Jude and read each book back to Matthew. You will be amazed at what the Holy Spirit shows you...

Here's a suggestion, have you considered a non-denominational church? A spirit filled, Holy Bible teaching church...where religion isn't the issue but a personal relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ is the issue?

In fact, it seems God's favorite word is "Come."

"Come, let us talk about these things. Though your sins are like scarlet, they can be as white as snow." Isaiah 1:18

"All you who are thirsty, come and drink." Isaiah 55:1

"Come to ma all, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

"Come to the wedding feast." Matthew 22:4

"Come follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Matthew 4:19

"Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink."

God is a God who invites. God is a God who calls. God is a God who opens the door and waves his hand pointing pilgrims to a full table.

His invitation is not just for a meal, however, it is for life. An invitation to come into his kingdom and take up residence in a tearless, graveless, painless world. Who can come? Whoever wishes. The invitation is at once universal and personal. ...From: And the Angels Were Silent by Max Lucado)

Peace be with you and yours.