What is my status in the Catholic Church if I attend another church?
There are a variety of reasons why Catholics decide to attend another church on a regular or occasional basis. Some do so because they are in a relationship with or are married to a person who attends that church. Others do so because they have been alienated from or feel unwelcome in the Catholic Church, or because they disagree with what the Church teaches. Some do so because they have spiritual needs which are not being adequately met in a Catholic parish.
Whatever your reason, you may find that attending another church seems like the right thing to do and is an important part of your spiritual life at a particular stage in your faith journey. Over time, however, you may begin to feel like something important is missing in your spiritual life. Many Catholics who regularly attended another church say that they eventually came back to the Catholic church because they missed its deep sense of sacramentality, particularly the Eucharist; the church's long heritage; or its definitive moral and doctrinal teaching.
Many Catholics who attend another church still consider themselves Catholics, even though they do not participate regularly in the worship or sacramental life of the Catholic faith community. Generally, membership in the Catholic Church presumes active participation in the sacramental and spiritual life of the Church, but in fact persons who are baptized Catholic remain members of the Catholic Church unless they have formally and publicly renounced their membership.
The Catholic Parishes in Waterloo welcome the opportunity to talk more with Catholics who regularly attend another church even if you do not plan to resume active participation in the Catholic Church at the present time.
• If you are a Catholic who regularly attends another church, you are always welcome to visit with a pastor, a parish staff person or a spiritual guide about your spiritual life and your past, present or future relationship to the Catholic church.
More FAQ:
• How Do I Resume Participating?
• What If I Disagree with Some of the Church's Teachings?
Related Link:
• Information for Catholic Seekers
Last Update: 10.16.17