Colorado Bishop Apologizes for Aide's Remarks on Attending Non-Catholic Services

Colorado Springs Bishop Michael Sheridan sent out a letter apologizing for remarks made by his lay assistant, Peter Howard, saying that Catholics should not attend Protestant services.  I find this most troubling.  When I was a child, I remember learning that taking part in non-Catholic services was a sin against the 1st commandment (as opposed to non-participatory attendance--ie as a witness--under certain circumstances, such as at the marriage of non-Catholic relatives for social reasons).  Any thoughts?

Comments

[Bob]

Absolutely right! Doesn't it seem that if Catholics have spare time to attend extra religious services, Bishop Sheridan should be encouraging them to... oh, let me think... go to an additional *Mass*? Not making excuses for their attendance at heretical gatherings, which, by definition, Protestant services are?

[Jeff Miller]

I think the letter was definately a mistake. I noted on my own blog last week about this that combining poorly catechised Catholics with what they might see as more vibrant worship is something that they should not prudently do. Especially considering that the largest segments of many of these denominations is ex-Catholics.

I would like to see the letter the Bishop actually wrote and the column he responded to. To see if makes the necessary distinctions and just didn't worry about someone being offended. Considering that he took a stand agains pro-abortion politicians receiving Communion I would hope that this wasn't the case.

A different situation exists for those in mixed religious marriages where this might be something prudent to od.

[The Catholic Knight]

Hmmm. My understading is that Catholics are free to pray with our Christian brethren in non-Catholic churches. We are not allowed to recieve communion in other churches though, nor are we allowed to say or do anything that is strictly forbiddon by the Catholic Church. But my understanding of Church teaching and canon law (and somebody correct me if I'm wrong) is that a Catholic may attend a Protestant church service, provided he still meets his Sunday obligation for mass, does not recieve communion in the Protestant church, and limits his activities there to merely "praying with other Christians."

In my experience, this is not hard to do, becuase communion isn't always served every Sunday in most Protestant churches, and most Protestant church services consist of nothing but music, prayer and preaching anyway.

[Scott Carson]

Maybe what he should apologize for is not having said the same thing himself long ago--it seems that his diocese has a rather significant number of Roman Catholics who attend non-Catholic services on Sundays rather than Mass, and that's clearly a problem.

[sixtina nicolette]

All i remember about learning that if we go to a non-cathoilc church we cant recieve communion with them, we ould have to go to our own churhc to do that. But i would to go other churchs to see what they are like and then compare to the Catholic Faith!!!!!!!!

[Carl]

This bishop is a successor to the Apostles and he is within his rights to make this decision. What is troubling is all this second guessing of a bishop's legitimate decision.

[Hank]

Church teaching requires us to recognize, pray for and work for unity with other Christians. Vatican II categorically rejected the sectarian divisiveness that emphasized what divided us from other christians, to be replaced with understanding the value of the unity we share, and a committment to dialog with others to reduce misunderstandings that promote disunity. "Indeed all the faithful are asked by the Spirit of God to do everything possible to strengthen the bonds of communion between all Christians and to increase cooperation between Christ's followers: "Concern for restoring unity pertains to the whole Church, faithful and clergy alike. It extends to everyone according to the potential of each". (Et Unum Sint 102, read at http://www.catholic.net/rcc/documents/JohnPaulII/utunum.html ) Sharing faith and prayer to the extend possible with other Christians is not a sin, it is necessary to work toward the Unity that Christ prayed for in the Gospels.