Adsum

January 2004

Presence at Non-Catholic Services

From the American Ecclesiastical Review
by Very Rev. Francis J. Connell, C.SS.R., S.T.D., L.L.D., L.H.D.

Question: Is friendship a sufficient title to justify passive attendance at a non-Catholic funeral or wedding, in view of the fact that the Code (Canon 1258, §2) requires “a grave reason, civilis officii vel honoris causa”?

Answer: The mere fact that a Catholic has had a slight acquaintance with the non-Catholic whose marriage or funeral is taking place in a non-Catholic church is not a sufficent reason to justify the Catholic’s attendance at the function. But intimate and long-standing friendship would be a sufficient reason, provided there is no danger of scandal or of perversion. The phrase honoris causa can be reasonably interpreted to include the expression of honor which we naturally wish to manifest to our intimate friends, especially on the occasion of a marriage or a funeral. Bouscaren-Ellis translate the phrase given by the questioner as “for the sake of civil courtesy, duty or respect, for a grave reason” (Canon Law, Milwaukee, 1946, p. 639). It should be remembered that under no circumstances may a Catholic participate actively in any public non-Catholic religious service.

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