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Anonymous Jane wrote:

Hi, guys —

I'm confused regarding something and would appreciate any feedback to my question.

My boyfriend and I are both Roman Catholics. We both attend Sunday Mass without fail, and fulfill our Sunday obligation however since my boyfriend has been educated in an Anglican school, he has a habit of going to an Anglican mass as well (not regularly — just off and on).

  • Is it against the rules of the Roman Catholic Church, for Catholics to attend Anglican masses?

Please note, I will be asking him to attend Sunday Mass at a Roman Catholic parish without fail, and if he wants to attend an additional Anglican mass, then he can do so after fulfilling the Sunday obligation at a Catholic church.

Also, I have read that Catholics cannot receive Communion at Anglican churches and he is OK with that.

I hope you can help me with this situation.

Jane
  { Is it against the rules of the Roman Catholic Church, for Catholics to attend Anglican masses? }

Eric replied:

Jane,

This is more of a judgment call. Catholics used to be categorically forbidden to go to Protestant services but now it's a bit looser.

Certainly, if it is posing a danger to his faith as a Catholic, he should not go. If not, what he is doing can probably be tolerated. I guess the question is:

  • Why specifically does he go?
    • is it nostalgia?
    • an affection for the beauty of the Anglican liturgy? or
    • out of friendship with school chums, or what?

Perhaps he should bring this up with his confessor or pastor and see what he says. It is difficult for us at a distance to make a call.

You are correct that you need to fulfill your Sunday obligation first (I say this for the sake of other readers).

I'm not sure where you are, but there are Catholic churches that use a rite based on the Anglican liturgy. They are called Anglican Ordinariate parishes or Anglican Use parishes. You might want to look one up. Then he can have the riches of the Anglican liturgy and full communion with Catholicism.

Eric

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