[Non-Catholics Only] If Your Pastor Attended a Catholic Mass...

[HereIStand]

I know of a gentleman and his wife who have stopped attending a church. They were not members, but attended on a regular basis and were somewhat involved. Once reason for their leaving is that the pastor shared with the church that while on sabbatical, he attended Catholic mass on occasion in Europe. His attendance at the mass troubled the wife in this case.

My question is: would this bother you? I'm okay with it. Since the Catholic church might be the only church option in some parts of the world. I might be troubled (or at least confused) if the pastor attended mass locally though.

 

[Paidiske]

Attended? No. There are lots of good reasons why one might attend.

I might have a problem if it went beyond attending; if he or she took communion there or otherwise expressed unity with or commitment to Catholicism, or participated in particular practices which I find theologically problematic.

 

[dreadnought]

I know of a gentleman and his wife who have stopped attending a church. They were not members, but attended on a regular basis and were somewhat involved. Once reason for their leaving is that the pastor shared with the church that while on sabbatical, he attended Catholic mass on occasion in Europe. His attendance at the mass troubled the wife in this case.

My question is: would this bother you? I'm okay with it. Since the Catholic church might be the only church option in some parts of the world. I might be troubled (or at least confused) if the pastor attended mass locally though.

I don't know why it should trouble anyone why one person should attend one church as opposed to another.

 

[Floof]

I wouldn't at all take issue with it! In fact I'd find it quite nifty as I've never been to a Catholic Mass myself so it'd be a great opportunity to learn.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I know of a gentleman and his wife who have stopped attending a church. They were not members, but attended on a regular basis and were somewhat involved. Once reason for their leaving is that the pastor shared with the church that while on sabbatical, he attended Catholic mass on occasion in Europe. His attendance at the mass troubled the wife in this case.

My question is: would this bother you? I'm okay with it. Since the Catholic church might be the only church option in some parts of the world. I might be troubled (or at least confused) if the pastor attended mass locally though.

It wouldn't bother me to have simply attended - Catholic or any other fellowship apart from ours.

He wouldn't be allowed to participate in the Mass, or any Sacrament, in a priestly role, or receive communion, so that would bother me. But I'm very sure he wouldn't do that.

But attend on a rare occasion? No, that wouldn't matter to me.

For that matter he could (and does) have family that are not Orthodox, and may well go to church or some occasion in the church with them sometimes.

 

[Tigger45]

No I wouldn’t have a problem with him ‘attending’ Catholic masses while on sabbatical. First Catholics are Christian and second I visit Catholic masses on occasion myself (without communing). Ironically our Lutheran senior pastor earned his PhD in Theology from a Catholic university.

 

[Call me Nic]

For me, it depends. I would have a big problem with it if it were my pastor. A pastor is supposed to be blameless, and their congregation (especially a conservative Baptist one like the church I go to) could easily point the finger and blame the pastor for condoning something that he himself preaches against from the pulpit. But my problem wouldn't lie so much in the fact that he attended the mass itself, but the hypocrisy that would be apparent in the act of doing so. If the pastor of my church attended a mass, it would raise many eyebrows and most likely become quite scandalous, simply from the fact that the pastor of my church preaches so hard against Catholicism.

However, if I attended a church where the pastor spoke nothing of and condemned not the Catholic Church, then honestly, I could say and think nothing against him from the standpoint of being required to be blameless, because he never, in fact, spoke out against it. Then again, I would be apart of no such church, I think.

For me, it would be the hypocrisy of the whole matter that would irk me, not necessarily the act itself. As mentioned above, I'm sure there's much that can be learned from attending a Catholic mass, but taking part of it in any way is not good (Ephesians 5:6-7).

 

[Innerfire89]

Attending is fine, participating, not so much. I couldn't trust a pastor who would take part in a Catholic mass to be doctrinally sound.

It make no difference if the only churches around to go is Catholic, because it's apostate.

 

[HereIStand]

Attending is fine, participating, not so much. I couldn't trust a pastor who would take part in a Catholic mass to be doctrinally sound.

It make no difference if the only churches around to go is Catholic, because it's apostate.

I would doubt that the pastor took communion at the mass in this case. Should a person not attend church at all if the only church option is Catholic?

 

[Call me Nic]

I would doubt that the pastor took communion at the mass in this case. Should a person not attend church at all if the only church option is Catholic?

There are many variables that are to be considered when answering that question. The short answer I would give: it's better for that person to have their own Bible and to be alone with said Bible than to be apart of a church that twists and misinterprets scripture, leading down a road to apostasy and false doctrine. However, the very fact that there is a "churchless" saved person means that there is some presence of bible-believing Christians that had him converted, so then by logically reasoning, there is a church option other than the respective catholic church, one should assume. Unless he got saved via the internet, and then he has YouTube (although, who knows if that's a good or bad thing).

 

[~Anastasia~]

Before we go too far down this road, I want to remind everyone that it is against the rules of CF to state or imply that any group of believers that adhere to the Nicene Creed are not Christian.

~Anastasia~
CF Senior Ambassador

 

[HereIStand]

There are many variables that are to be considered when answering that question. The short answer I would give: it's better for that person to have their own Bible and to be alone with said Bible than to be apart of a church that twists and misinterprets scripture, leading down a road to apostasy and false doctrine. However, the very fact that there is a "churchless" saved person means that there is some presence of bible-believing Christians that had him converted, so then by logically reasoning, there is a church option other than the respective catholic church, one should assume. Unless he got saved via the internet, and then he has YouTube (although, who knows if that's a good or bad thing).

In this case, the man and wife are having at home church with their Bible. I could see this if they were living way off the grid in a remote area, but that's not the case. Beyond this, attending a Catholic church would at least provide the Lord's Prayer and Apostles' Creed, even if one didn't take communion. Yes, these could be said at home, but it's somehow not the same thing.

 

[~Anastasia~]

It's like I didn't even say it.

I'm always grieved when those who profess Christ are quick to usurp the judgement that is His alone, condemning other believers - generally without even knowing what it is they actually do believe.

This one is just my personal post - not as an ambassador.

 

[tdidymas]

I know of a gentleman and his wife who have stopped attending a church. They were not members, but attended on a regular basis and were somewhat involved. Once reason for their leaving is that the pastor shared with the church that while on sabbatical, he attended Catholic mass on occasion in Europe. His attendance at the mass troubled the wife in this case.

My question is: would this bother you? I'm okay with it. Since the Catholic church might be the only church option in some parts of the world. I might be troubled (or at least confused) if the pastor attended mass locally though.

People who leave a church on such miniscule issues are usually looking for a reason.

And it begs the question, what was the context of that pastor's conversation concerning that event? Many people also stopped following Jesus because of one thing he said that they were offended over because they took it out of context. Perhaps they too were looking for a reason to leave.
TD

 

[HereIStand]

People who leave a church on such miniscule issues are usually looking for a reason.

And it begs the question, what was the context of that pastor's conversation concerning that event? Many people also stopped following Jesus because of one thing he said that they were offended over because they took it out of context. Perhaps they too were looking for a reason to leave.
TD

The pastor shared from the pulpit that he had attended mass, in Spain I believe it was. This wasn't the only issue. The wife apparently didn't like "Calvinism" being taught in a women's Bible study or Sunday school class. It's too bad that they've left. My hope is that they'll reconsider.

 

[Paidiske]

I thought Presbyterians were Calvinist?

 

[HereIStand]

I thought Presbyterians were Calvinist?

They are. Some are more so than others though. My sense is that this church is moderately Calvinist. Other churches seem to work election into every sermon. It's bit like Lutherans and justification.

 

[Dave-W]

I know of a gentleman and his wife who have stopped attending a church. They were not members, but attended on a regular basis and were somewhat involved. Once reason for their leaving is that the pastor shared with the church that while on sabbatical, he attended Catholic mass on occasion in Europe. His attendance at the mass troubled the wife in this case.

My question is: would this bother you?

Personally? No.

But the church I grew up in considered Catholics to be worse than satanists.

In fact, the founding pastor ended up quitting the faith altogether and called the Bible "nothing but a bunch of lies" when he found out that God was working in the Catholic church (charismatic renewal in the 1960s).

So to someone coming from that background, it would be VERY problematic.

 

[Dave-W]

People who leave a church on such miniscule issues are usually looking for a reason.

My dad was an ordained pastor before I was born (Wesleyan Methodist) and his position was this: (direct quote)

"Catholicism is the falsest of false religions because they name the Name of Christ."

Even though he has been gone for 10 years, and it has been at least 30 since he told me that, I still cannot wrap my head around that statement.

 

[Paidiske]

Did he maybe mean that they name Christ, but do so, so wrongly that their falsehood has a veneer of truth, and thus is more deceptive?

I can't agree, by the way. I might have deep disagreements with Catholics about many things, but on the most profound and necessary truths, they are right. We hold the gospel in common.