What if someone is an evangelical protestant but truly believes in transubstantiation? My friend the Catholic priest in training explained the exclusion was because protestants didn’t have the same beliefs about what was actually going on.
Everyone’s handled Communion although it should be mentioned that if you “join the congregation” by just showing up and grabbing a pew, you likely wouldn’t be eligible for other sacraments within the church such as marriage or having a child baptized. They usually ask for paperwork before anything like that and without being able to show that you were baptized into the church, you’d hit a dead end real quick.
Things have gotten better.
From From Confl ict to Communion, the report of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Joint Commission for Unity, which came out some time last year.
The RCC and Lutherans (including the ECLA) are in agreement or near-agreement on nearly everything these days. The ordination of women is still a big issue, as well as the ordination of women or men in same-sex relationships. Papal infallibility is an issue, but it seems that the RCC is willing to allow the various Lutheran organizations to define it in a way that suits them.
This sounds odd from two perspectives. For one thing, most Hindu temples don’t have restrictions on the religion of the person attending. For another, as far as I know, you can’t convert to Hinduism. The concept of proselytising doesn’t exist within it.
I don’t think it’s so hard and fast as that. At least on my Anglican experience, both phrases are used. But maybe that’s just an example of Anglican middle way. 
This thread makes me realise again that I miss Polycarp. 
Why would the lack of proselytizing preclude conversion? I know at least a few Christians that converted on their own, and I know at least one Catholic turned Buddhist who never was proselytized at all.
People can choose to become adherents to a religion on their own, without outside help.
I know nothing about conversion in Hinduism, but you can’t become a Catholic without outside help. That is, you can’t just decide you are a Catholic and start doing the Catholic thing. If you really wanted to become a Catholic you will have to pass through the various rites of initiation (variable depending on what point you are starting from, for example the Catholic church recognizes one baptism, so if you were baptized into another Christian faith you skip that one).
To respond to the OP, all are welcome to attend Mass, really, ALL. And you are not required to do anything except not be disruptive, if you are over the age of six. But if you want to receive communion, there are a lot of considerations. Are you a member of a denomination which is allowed this privilege by the Catholic church? If you aren’t, are you making a decision to flout the rules, based on exactly what premise? Communion is not a mere ritual, it is a very serious matter to Catholics, by the way. Nothing is more serious, it is the very heart and reason for the Mass.
There are plenty of ecumenically minded and/or poorly-educated Catholics who believe it is perfectly all right for anyone at all to receive communion because after all Jesus makes himself available to everyone. There’s a good argument there, but it is not the one the Catholic church makes.
No one is going to stop you, or check your baptismal certificate. It is between you and your own conscience. I would say if you have to rationalize it, there’s your answer.
I’m a trainee Minister.
Last academic year I didn’t have much on in the way of official training, so I decided to visit as many places of worship as I could. Partway through the year i visited a Catholic church.
There was a bit more going on than the Church of Scotland service that I’m used to, but it’s not too hard to follow along. If you are visiting a new congregation, just sit nea a group of regulars, and do what they do - stand when they stand, sit when they sit. This usually works,…
So I’m following the service up to the point that people start going forward to receive Communion. I knew I could receive a blessing, but I wasn’t that bothered about going forward. The rows in front of me emptied, as everyone queued in the aisle. The organ starts up and a hymn begins, so, like the person behind me, I stand too, but she turned and gave me a puzzled look. I start singing along, only realising that the front row has been served the elements, and when they return to their pews, they kneel back down. Well there was nothing for it, I just sang along with, what I now know was the choir… :smack:
We got to the end of the hymn, and the choir lady behind me thanked me for the support. At the end of the service, the ladies behind me thanked me for joining in, and asked if I would like to join the choir. I had to let them down gently, telling them that I wasn’t a Catholic (not a problem) I can’t sing (apparently that is optional) and I’m training for the Church of Scotland Ministry. Even that wasn’t enough to dissuade them…
I had a few experiences of independent congregations where I would be welcomed into the congregation, but there was always someone who would ask if I was saved.
If you’re a Catholic attending one of the services I’m preaching at, come in, take a seat, and there’s a tea or coffee in the hall afterwards. Now, the offering will be received. 
I would advise a trial “walk-by” of a Catholic church first. Have you seen The Omen? It wasn’t a good scene when Damian was brought to church. Just pass by, close to one, and perhaps gradually cut the distance between you and the building. Good luck!
Oh no, too late. You’ve been fully saturated by the ultrasonic transmissions coming from an electronic device under the altar. You will now do the sign of the cross every time you pass by a (Catholic) church. You will send your kids to Notre Dame by hook or by crook. You’ll have nothing but fish every Friday. Heck, you won’t do anything on Fridays. You will visit the Vatican and Lourdes at least once.
But you can escape all of that by marrying a nice Catholic girl and have her do all the praying for you.
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the concept of conversion also doesn’t exist in Hinduism. But I think the concept of converting someone to Hinduism doesn’t exist because the idea of gaining adherents, or proselytising, doesn’t exist. I find it interesting that the few Hindu organisations that do proselytsise - like ISKCON, are primarily western. It seems a cultural thing.
I’m unclear of what the OP means by “join” a congregation.
If the question is merely if you can show up unannounced at Sunday Mass, the answer is “sure.” Nobody will try to stop you. No one will even look at you funny. Indeed, most parishes I’ve belonged to have been so large that I rarely recognize more than a few people in attendance.
But if you mean becoming an actual registered member of the parish? That’s a bit harder, unless you’re already a baptized Catholic. If you are, then joining a new parish is a simple matter of filling out a form or two. If not… well, then you’d have to go through a conversion process that could take several months.
I’ve attended Catholic church as a non-Catholic, and my experience was pretty much the same as others. A lot of standing, singing, sitting, kneeling, sitting, standing, etc. During communion the family I was with just suggested I just stay seated rather than go up with the rest of our row so I did. Everyone got their crackers and wine, I noticed the person holding the wine chalice did a token wiping of the rim between each person. Overall the service was quite a production.
I think in general churches of any faith are more than happy for new people to just show up, as long as they are respectful (no texting for example.)
That’s how I escaped.
^
Not if you’re Michael Corleone. He married a covert.
If that were the case, no one would get in, or at the very least few, I know a lot of RC’s that don’t really believe all the Church’s teachings and I have gone to Funerals and weddings which they try to get everyone to take part. I sit in the back row, I don’t take part because I feel it would be being a Hypocrite.
In Spain or Italy, and I’m assuming in other countries where the “default” is Catholic, there is no such thing as becoming a registered member of the parish. Parishes are assigned geographically: you become a member of one by moving to its territory. I was pretty surprised when I was told I had to fill paperwork to “join the parish” in North Miami (giving the Augustines in South Miami their first positive point: they hadn’t asked for registration) and offended when told I had to tell them how much I’d be contributing - the fuck, I grew up being told it’s nobody’s business how much you give! (I don’t care if it’s a deductible, that’s the one deductible I’m never going to use) The pastor in Philadelphia was from the Philippines and didn’t ask for registration either.
Note that the “baptized Catholic” part includes churches which aren’t the RCC but are in communion with it.
in the movies, you see the character going in to a church at odd hours and just sit there alone. are churches open 24/7? can you really just enter while there are few people and expect to be left alone?
The United Methodist Church that hosts the community garden I volunteer with is not open 24/7. When the last (responsible) person leaves, they lock up.
There was a scene in the old TV show “Homicide: Life on the Streets” when Detectives Bayliss and Pembleton were driving somewhere and discussing the fact that Bayless, a non-Catholic, had recently attended a Catholic wedding mass and had taken communion. Pembleton, a Catholic, objected as follows:
Det. Frank Pembleton: You’re not Catholic and you took communion?
Det. Tim Bayliss: Yeah, is that wrong?
Det. Frank Pembleton: If my God wins… You’re screwed. :D:D