Expert: Tom Schott - 5/19/2009

Question
QUESTION: A local Catholic church owns a small "mission chapel" a few miles away from the main church and holds Mass there daily and once on Sunday in Spanish. I was passing by last Sunday afternoon and noticed that it was being used. I walked in upon a church service attended by Indians. I figured they were some eastern rite of the Catholic Church but when I asked someone afterwards, I was told that they are an orthodox church. Further research confirmed that. Is it permissible, according to canon law, for a Catholic church to be used by schismatic groups for their services?

ANSWER: Terry,

Orthodox, Easter Rite Catholic Churches, are not schismatic. They are fully Catholic churches, but they are not =Roman= Catholic. Their authority structure does not include the bishop of Rome. There is no provision in Canon Law prohibiting what you describe.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you, but I specifically said that they are not Eastern Rite Catholic churches. I think you're confused about the distinction. The Eastern Rite Catholic churches_are_in full communion with the Pope and the Universal churches. The Eastern Orthodox are not. And that was the basis of my question. Can Orthodox church use a Catholic church for their services?

Answer
Terry,

Sorry for the confusion. The answer is the same. I know of no provision in canon law to prevent an Eastern Orthodox church from using a Catholic church building. A Greek Orthodox deacon used to be a member of our deacon community in Tampa.

I might also mention that the theology that regards everyone not in communion with the pope to be a schismatic was materially altered at Vatican II, especially in the Decree on Ecumenism which said that are degrees of unity among Christian churches. It also called for the restoration of Christian unity rather than the return of non-Catholics to the Catholic Church. In light of this, sharing worship space with an Orthodox congregation is a laudable ecumenical gesture.