Catholics Can Go To Other Services

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30688, 2 March 1965, Page 9

Catholics Can Go To Other Services

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, March 1.

The ban on Roman Catholics attending services in non-Catholic churches, except under a special dispensation from a bishop, will be lifted in New Zealand from March 7.

A directive on the subject was read in all Roman Catholic churches yesterday. In future. Catholics will be permitted to attend religious ceremonies in non-Catholic churches on social occasions such as weddings or funerals, for reasons of public office friendship or courtesy.

A Catholic may also be best man or bridesmaid at a valid and lawful wedding between non-Catholics. The list of directives compiled by New Zealand bishops to implement the second Vatican Council’s decree on ecumenism, proclaimed last November, includes: Private prayer together with non-Catholics is permissible, if the prayers are those common to all or are otherwise approved. This includes meetings which are not public. When approved prayers or prayers common to all are used, Catholics may attend school assembly prayers, if these prayers are led by a schoolteacher, or on occasion, by a non-Catholic minister of religion. Similarly, a priest could lead these prayers. Prayer in common is per-

missible at gatherings of a national or civic nature which are not official services of a denomination. It is recommended that on occasions of common prayer, if feasible, a prayer for unity be introduced to show clearly that churches are not yet fully united, except in charity, and to avoid the danger of indifferentism.

Attendance as an official representative of the church or of a Catholic society or organisation at, say, the funeral of a statesman, civic personality, or high ecclesiastic, is permissible. Invitations to special ecumenical gatherings and their organisation shall be referred to the bishop of diocese. In the pastoral letter to be read the bishops say they hope the responsible application of these directives will “promote the ecumenical cause, without endangering the unity of faith or encouraging false impressions or ambiguities.” Changes in the liturgy of the Mass are included in the directive.