Was it wrong for my diocese to give money to rebuild an Anglican church?
The short answer
Only if it risked drawing Catholics away from the faith. That danger has greatly declined with mainstream Protestants, so helping them after a tragedy can be Christian compassion. But it seems imprudent to help aggressively proselytizing, anti-Catholic groups build churches — though emergency aid to their families is fine.
The old caution
For centuries after the Reformation, the Church discouraged joint religious projects with non-Catholics to protect Catholics from proselytism.
Today
That danger has declined considerably, especially with mainstream Protestants. If helping an Anglican church rebuild poses no apparent danger to local Catholics, giving to fellow Christians whose church was destroyed can be an act of compassion.
The limit
Some groups combine aggressive proselytism with anti-Catholicism — for example Seventh-day Adventists, Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. Helping them build and furnish churches appears imprudent, though giving emergency help to their families in need is fine.
Continue exploring
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